For me, the transition from winter to spring often brings anticipation and preparation. I am an
avid gardener, so when the calendar flips to March, I pull out my Midwest gardening book and start planning my vegetable garden. Thanks to climate change and the country getting warmer earlier, the USDA changed growing zones, so imagine my excitement at the thought of planting earlier! Also, thanks to a trip to the Dunn Prairie Ranch last year, I planted Missouri native flowers to overwinter and now begins the anticipation of what grows, along with the game of determining what’s a weed and what’s a seedling. This spring also brings a new type of anticipation in our family: the end of middle school for our teen and wrapping our minds around high school starting in August.

 

At Build Missouri Health, we’re also anticipating exciting things for 2024 and began the year
preparing the board for our new work with an annual retreat. Our board retreats give us focused time to build relationships with each other and dive deep into topics relevant to BMH’s mission, vision, and values. Deciding to add a site visit led us to hold our retreat across the state in Kansas City, MO!

 

With our mission to change systems, advocacy is a tool that can be used both statewide and in partnership with local organizations to inform decision-makers of the health impacts of climate change, affordable housing, and workforce gaps. To prepare for such activities, the first day of the retreat started with Sara Owsley of Empower Missouri conducting a training session on advocacy, exploring the variety of activities that BMH can do within the limitations of our 501(c)(3) status. She shared “do’s and don’ts” when talking with legislators, provided
suggestions on the types of activities we can do without jeopardizing our nonprofit status, and walked through the Missouri legislative process and calendar. The board engaged her and the BMH staff in conversation about our plans for advocacy, now and in the future.

 

The day continued with a panel discussion on housing, climate sustainability, and health. We are greatly appreciative of Arnold Development Group, the developer of the Second + Delaware apartments, for allowing us to hold our meeting in the apartment building. Johnathan Arnold, principal of Arnold Development Group, joined Jeremy Knoll of BNIM and Mary English of Metropolitan Energy Center to discuss the interconnectedness of these three topics. Jeremy and Johnathan shared the story of Passive House design, using those design methods in building Second + Delaware, and how such methods contribute to energy efficiency and ultimately support the health of the building’s residents. Mary English also shared details of a project MEC conducted with local partners to explore the impacts of weatherization activities on the health outcomes of children with asthma. The board engaged the speakers in robust conversation about the intricacies of market rate and affordable housing requirements when using energy-efficient and resilient design, the potential impacts of such design on health outcomes, and the larger need across Missouri for sustainable housing. We concluded our time with a tour of the building to see some of these innovations for ourselves – including thick cement walls, multiple-paned windows, and a white-painted roof with raised bed gardens for resident use.

 

We concluded the day enjoying appetizers at The Monogram Lounge. It gave us a chance to
get to know more about each other and tap our inner children via a giant slide situated between the restaurant on the upper floor and the J. Rieger Distillery below. Because shouldn’t all board retreats include a giant slide?

 

On day two we were hosted by the Health Forward Foundation to hold the board’s regular
business meeting. We appreciated the opportunity meet and briefly speak with the Foundation’s CEO Qiana Thomason and enjoyed delicious meals from local business Gangsta Goodies Kitchen. The board was able to reflect on the prior day’s learnings as they related to this year’s fundraising and programming plans.

 

We are preparing to launch some exciting programs this year, including a youth engagement
campaign on climate resiliency and officially opening our doors for fiscally sponsored projects.

 

We appreciate the donations of our supporters and friends throughout last year and hope that you will continue to contribute to BMH as we ramp up our work this year. Much change is underway, and we hope that you will join us by making a gift to help our new programs become successful!