Our Mission
The Heart of New Ulm (HONU) aims to improve the health, well-being and quality of life of all New Ulm-area residents through education, available resources, initiatives and partnerships that empower people of all ages to take responsibility for their own health in a supportive environment.
Helping People in New Ulm, MN Improve Their Health
Since 2009, the Heart of New Ulm (HONU) has been helping people in New Ulm, Minn., improve their health. The project began as a 10-year population health research project that was a collaborative partnership of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF), Allina Health and the New Ulm community designed to help residents reduce their risk for heart disease. It offered a unique environment for studying how various interventions, systems and environmental improvements, along with policy changes, can impact the health of an entire community.
A Community-Owned Health Initiative
Today, the Heart of New Ulm continues as a community-owned health initiative being sustained through community partnership and funding. It is focused on three significant, complex and interrelated health issues, where progress in one area can support improvements in the rest:
Healthy Lifestyles Across the Lifespan
Our goal is to support educational programs, activities and policies that help individuals increase access to and support for physical activity and healthful foods.
Mental Health
Our goal is to reduce the burden of mental health by reducing stigma, improving early identification, and offering resiliency programming focused on mental health conditions.
Addiction & Substance Use
Our goal is to support educational programs, activities and policies that increase awareness of addiction and misuse of legal substances, and also address the use of illegal substances.
Health Equity Goal
Our goal is to increase awareness of health equity in New Ulm and work to impact the decision making process within government and organizations to decrease the impact of the inequities that occur in New Ulm.
Health Inequities
View our fact sheet designed to bring attention to some of the health inequities that exist in our community to help decision makers be better informed during the decision making process.
Neighborhood Feedback
Over the summer of 2016, the Heart of New Ulm, along with several community organizations, co-hosted a series of gatherings in New Ulm neighborhoods to better understand how we can help people in the neighborhoods improve their health and well-being; the fact sheet provides an overview of the neighborhood survey results.
10 Years of Research
For more information on the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation’s 10-year research phase (2009 – 2018) of The Heart of New Ulm Project, visit their webpage.
Want to Make a Difference?
Send us a message and we'll help you connect to an initiative that interests you!