On April 12, President Preckwinkle announced new investments to launch the Building Healthy Communities (BHC) initiative in partnership with Cook County Health (CCH) and the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH). Building Healthy Communities aims to support COVID-19 resiliency and recovery, especially for Cook County communities hardest hit by COVID-19. Twelve million dollars in grants will be made available using a combination of funds provided to Cook County by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to support local organizations in expanding programs promoting mental health, food security, and positive youth development across Cook County. These grants are being made available for organizations serving the Cook County suburbs. Eligible activities include:

• COVID-19 education, prevention and treatment

• Chronic disease self-management programs for older adults

• Worker rights, health and safety

• Deployment of Community Health Workers

• Health Equity in All Policies

• Organizational health literacy

• Organizational sustainability for advancing racial equity and well-being

Organizations can apply for funding through a separate RFP led by Cook County Health. Interested organizations can find RFP #H22-0027 (BHC in Suburban Cook) and RFP #H22-0028 (BHC in the City of Chicago) on the Bids and RFPs webpage hosted on the Cook County Health website.