Thomas N Lynn Institute for Healthcare Research Inc

Summary: Following is an overview of Lynn Institute events and efforts focused on serving vulnerable communities and implementing the Science of Hope.Lynn Institute On the Road to HealthOne cohort of 35 individuals completed Lynn Institute's 10-week health and nutrition class in South Oklahoma City. Classes were conducted in Spanish at South Walker Church of Christ. Participants received health screenings, nutrition & exercise information, healthy recipes, and food to cook for their family. (CON'T ON SCH O)Community Engagement, Health Screenings & Food DistributionsLynn Institute offered 55 fresh produce distributions across the OKC community serving approximately 5,500 families. Sites for the food distributions included: Metro Technology Center, Community Center & Clinic, Greater New Zion Baptist Church, Allen Chapel AME Church, and Tabitha Baptist Church.Lynn Pancakes and Prostates, a men's health event, took place September 18th, 2021. Men were offered PSA, colorectal, cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose health screenings and vendors offered health and lifestyle information.Five Lynn Institute Healthy Hopeful Community Collaborative meetings were held bringing Lynn partners together to address disparities and resource needs in vulnerable communities across Oklahoma City. Lynn Institute Zoo4U, a community engagement event for Northeast OKC, was held September 21, 2021, providing families with resource connection, health screenings, and a day at the Zoo. Approximately 375 people attended.Lynn Institute partnered with Crossings Community Center for a Healthy Family Saturday, July 24, 2021, serving 250 families. Health/vision screenings, fresh produce, and family centered activities were offered.Research Projects The Lynn Institute Northeast Oklahoma City Community Research Study from 2016 was updated to reflect new information for 2022. Eastside Fresh Farmer's MarketLynn Institute developed the marketing plan for the Oklahoma State University Oklahoma County Extension's new farmer's market between December 2021 and March 2022. The market is a new food access point for Northeast Oklahoma City residents. Lynn Institute also created promotional materials and social media posts to publicize the opening of the Market. Media coverage and interviews were also pursued to promote the May 4, 2022 opening.HOPELynn Leader Hope Forum was held April 2022 for more than 200 leaders attending. A Leader Hope Toolkit was developed for professionals to implement the Science of Hope framework into organizations.Two Hope Champion courses and two Hope Navigator courses were offered to partner organizations.Lynn Institute offered a Science of Hope series for the 31 students enrolled in the OSU OKC Center for Social Innovation program over the course of the 2021-2022 academic year.Tabitha Community ParkLynn Institute collaborated with other partners to build a community park on land donated by Tabitha Baptist Church for the Carverdale and Edwards community whose residents previously had to walk across a major highway to get to a family park. The park opened June 2022. Fundraising EventsLynn Institute Legacy Luncheon was held August 19th, 2021. The event raised approximately $64,000.Lynn Chairity & Table Auction was held November 4th, 2021. The event raised $12,500.ScholarshipsThe Lynn Institute transfered funds to the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma to manage a new scholarship. Ten students were awarded $10,000 each for the pursuit of their educational endeavors. The scholarship is awarded to students who maintain a 2.9 GPA, demonstrate character, integrity and community spirit and represent the communities in which the Lynn Institute works.