What Is the CAN?

A CAN is a formally organized partnership of agencies, community-based organizations, and community members that work together to achieve common goals for community betterment and to coordinate services to improve health outcomes for all community residents.

Goals and Objectives

The CAN’s objective is to make a significant social impact in Montgomery that focuses on the relationship between organizations and the progress toward shared objectives.  The overall goal of the CAN is to create a systematic approach where organizations adjust and align their work with each other for greater outcomes, rather than working independently of each other. This is accomplished by:

  • Having a group of committed partners who are willing to make a long-term commitment to working together to achieve mutually agreed upon common goals

  • Representation by a cross-section of the community, organizations and public/private sectors

  • Developing a common agenda that includes shared planning, goal setting, data and other resources

  • Collectively identifying a specific social problem and marshaling available community resources

CAN Membership

Members of the Gift of Life’s Healthy Start CAN are diverse. It is made up of about 20 community partners, representing 20 non-profit organizations whose focus areas include poverty, lack of adequate housing, domestic violence, food insecurity, crime, health disparity, incarceration and mental health, HIV/AIDS outreach, early education, prenatal health and drug abuse. Each partner is already addressing one of the social determinants, or factors that influence Montgomery’s high infant mortality rate. They have bought into the CAN concept because they recognize that pooling resources to address the problems helps further each member organization’s impact.

CAN Activities/Projects

  • Implemented a service provider community assessment on local issues (health, economic, education, social) that matter most urgent in Montgomery

  • Developed a common agenda around a community problem that has been identified

  • Create resources that connect and inform the community of available resources

  • Engaged in mutually reinforcing activities to increase collective impact, which included:

    • Health fairs

    • Safe Infant Sleep presentations

    • Improving women’s health before and during pregnancy

    • Health behaviors, risk factors, and disparity

    • Child Care summit

    • Behavioral/mental health conferences

    • STD prevention presentation

    • Homeless/Economic stability

    • School readiness/back-to-school events

    • Parenting fair/child care services

For information on how your organization can participate in our CAN Network, call Mona Davis, Marketing and Community Outreach Director, at (334) 399-0158.

 

What to Join Our CAN? Complete our Interest Form

Current CAN Partners

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.’s Alpha Rho Zeta Stork’s Nest

Iota Phi Lambda, Inc.

Express-O-Love Diaper Bank

Kairos Foundation

Village Maternal Services

Image Clear Ultrasound

Montgomery Public Schools

Tuskegee University Dept. of Social Work

Health Services, Inc.

Baptist Health

ADPH Region V Perinatal Services

Liz Todd, ALL Babies Program

REACH Program, Wellness Coalition

Sacred Soul Wellness Institute

Family Guidance Center of Alabama

Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church

Community Mbrace

WLBF 89.1 -FM Faith Radio

HS/Community Participants: Crystal Jackson, Kayla Jones, Darwina Johnson, Dorothy Harrison, Melanie Hogan (WVAS_FM), Verna Zellars and Betty Hall.