NORWAY — The Oxford County Wellness Collaborative came into being in 2011 in response to publication of the 2010 County Health Rankings, which showed Oxford County as 16th out of 16 counties in Maine in overall health. Comprised of over 100 partners from across the county, the vision of the OCWC is that “Oxford County is the healthiest county in Maine and one of the most desirable in which to live, work and raise children.”

The OCWC currently meets regularly, and welcomes input as well as new partners as it works to become the central hub of activity that supports the transformation of Health and Wellness in Oxford County.

There are five subgroups that have been started under the collaborative and people are welcome to join one or more of interest: Healthy Eating, Active Living, Community Safety, Behavioral Health (which includes substance abuse and mental health care and concerns) and Community Engagement.

The current priority of the Community Engagement work group is the Healthy Community Gatherings opportunity which was started with the grant funds received from Maine Health Access Foundation, plus supporting funding from the Bingham Program and the Betterment Fund. Details of that project are as follows:

“The goal of the Healthy Community Gatherings is to create a healthier county by changing the way community change happens by including everyone in making decisions from the ground up in community to have a lasting positive effect on all.”

In order to do this, members are inviting people and organizations who are not typically involved in decision making to Healthy Community Gatherings to share what’s important to them regarding health and wellness.

The work will include relationship and trust building with a long­-term focus, and by this fall will result in one or two specific goals chosen by participants for action.

Each gathering will provide on­-site childcare and hearty snacks. Help with transportation is available.

The following are the introductory gatherings in the South Paris/Norway area.

* Aug. 7, 4­ to 6 p.m. at the Center for an Ecology Based Economy, 443 Main St., Norway.

* Aug. 13, 12:30­ to 2:30 p.m. at the UU Church, 479 Main St., Norway.

* Aug. 14, 5:30­ to 7:30 p.m. at the UMaine Cooperative Extension, 9 Olson Road, South Paris.

There is funding to support this work this year, and there will be more funding to support the goals for the future.

For more information or to get involved, contact Brendan Schauffler, facilitator for the Collaborative, at 739­-6222 or [email protected].