Dear HealthMPowers Partners,
As we move through our 25th anniversary year, I want to share an update on where we are, and where we are headed.
As many of you know, the federal budget proposal eliminated the SNAP-Ed program that has been the backbone of HealthMPowers work for nearly 20 years. While our advocacy efforts continue, the likelihood of restoration has diminished, and we’ve been preparing accordingly. While this brings short-term impacts to our programs and services, HealthMPowers is not going anywhere. We have been preparing for this day for years, and although difficult decisions have been made, HealthMPowers is poised to evolve and live on another 25 years or more.
Over the last 3 months, our team has weathered every up and down of the federal funding news, while still maintaining full, daily operations, crafting a refreshed strategic plan, developing a “recalibration” strategy and working as diligently as possible to lead with our values even when making difficult decisions.
We’ve also seen many signs of hope and growth. Here are a few things that bring confidence in our ability to weather a difficult season but still make an impact:
🎥 Media Recognition: Nearly 10 earned media mentions, including a feature for our GEM program in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 25 Million Minutes coverage with the American Heart Association on morning news shows across Georgia, and being a trusted source for journalists covering the impact of federal funding changes.
👑 Youth Advisory Board: Welcoming our largest Youth Advisory Board ever and celebrating our outgoing co-chair as he accepted a statewide award in recognition of his leadership.
🤝New Funders: Recruiting new funders to invest in our important mission and work including the Morgridge Family Foundation, the Dobbs Foundation and the Advocare Foundation.
📌 Program Plans & Focus: Due to the federal funding cuts, we’re shifting from serving nearly 160 sites to 52 sites across Atlanta Public Schools, DeKalb County, Gwinnett, Henry, Murray, Rockdale, and Fulton. While this reduces our rural footprint, it allows us to pilot a more sustainable, virtual-first service delivery model that leverages digital tools and community partnerships.
👥 Organizational Changes: Effective October 1, we will be implementing a reduction in force affecting 14 staff members (41% of our current team). This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one made with care: providing ample notice, career transition assistance, full payout of benefits, and extended health coverage. Our remaining team of 20 FTEs will lead us through this recalibration year.
Despite these changes, we’ve had some remarkable successes:
🥗 Youth Leadership Summit: This summer, we brought together over 26 youth leaders from 20 counties across Georgia. The impact was profound. “We are agents of change, and with good planning and teamwork, everything is achievable.”-Youth Summit Participant
Summit participant Sofia Escobar also captured the experience beautifully in her YAB perspective, showing the authentic youth voice that drives our work. 👉Read Sofia’s full reflection on the Leadership Summit.
💎 GEM Program Recognition: Our Girls Empowering Movement program was recently published in the Human Kinetics Journal—a peer-reviewed publication featuring one of our girl leaders in the video abstract. This is groundbreaking representation for youth-led health advocacy. 👉See the Human Kinetics Journal feature
🏃♀️ 25 Million Minutes Campaign: We’ve surpassed 14 million minutes of physical activity logged statewide in partnership with the American Heart Association. Our Team HealthMPowers even conquered the AJC Peachtree Road Race, adding 475 minutes to our goal! 👉Join our 25 Million Minutes Challenge!
📊 Building Upon Success: Last week, our Board adopted an updated Strategic Plan marking the completion of our highly successful Aspiration 2025 plan. While our six core strategies remain unchanged—reflecting their continued relevance—we’ve sharpened our key performance indicators to ensure even greater precision in measuring impact. A full report on these achievements will be included in our annual report this November. 👉 Sign up to receive our Annual Report
As we enter this recalibration year, we’re not just surviving—we’re strategically positioning for long-term impact. Our focus areas include:
🏰 Youth leadership capacity building: Building a generation of health advocacy leaders to inspire their peers in nutrition, physical activity, and mental wellness.
💎 GEM 2.0: Creating a true GEM community of girls and adult allies through an interactive platform, expanded resources, and new events, while experimenting with a fee-for-service model to expand reach.
💻 Digital Innovation: Developing virtual programming that maintains quality while reaching more communities efficiently.
➗ Data Excellence: Implementing recommendations from our Apparo partnership to create a centralized data platform for real-time insights.
💪 New Leadership for a New Chapter: Our Board has new leadership perfectly positioned to guide us through this transformation. Jasmine Hoffman (Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff, Communications and Marketing, Emory University) now serves as Board Chair, with Yolanda Reid-Wheeler (Intervention Specialist, Henry County Schools) as Vice Chair.
We’ve also welcomed three exceptional new board members: Rashelle Berry (Dietitian, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta), Jasmine Burton (Co-Founder, The Anchor School), and Todd Garlitz (Vice President of Marketing, Genome Medical). Their diverse expertise strengthens our capacity to navigate challenges and advance our mission.
💰 Strong Financial Foundation: Thanks to supporters like you, we’re well-positioned for this transition with a conservative eye toward financial management, new funding and the exploration of earned income models.
️🧡 Our Commitment Remains Unwavering: While the landscape has changed dramatically, our mission to champion healthy habits and transform environments where children live, learn, and play remains steadfast. We’re using this moment not as an ending, but as an opportunity to build something more sustainable and impactful.
Our team’s resilience over the past months has been extraordinary. What we’re building together—a leaner, more agile organization focused on digital innovation and community partnership—positions us to serve Georgia’s children for the next 25 years.
I’m deeply grateful for your partnership and trust as we navigate this transformation. Your continued support doesn’t just fund programs—it empowers the next generation of leaders and creates lasting change in communities across Georgia.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions. I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss our evolving work and how we can continue partnering for impact.
With gratitude and determination,
Jennifer L. Owens
President and CEO
HealthMPowers
