Beaufort County officials have started looking closely at ways to improve the health of residents. One recent success story was a roundtable discussion in Aurora. Representatives from organizations like the Aurora Richland Chamber of Commerce, public library, senior center and public schools volleyed around ideas that, if implemented, could breathe life into the town and its residents.

One of the best ideas, which the group plans to move on in the coming months, is a farmers’ market. If given easy access to the freshest vegetables, residents might improve their diets.
As an added bonus, a centrally located farmers’ market would give residents of surrounding towns another reason to visit downtown Aurora.

The discussion started because of an initiative — Healthy Places — of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust called. Community transformation catalyst Renee Harvey has been attending and coordinating these meetings since coming to the town last year.

The official kickoff of Healthy Places will be June 3, when the charitable trust holds a health fair. The event will give Beaufort County residents an opportunity to get involved in the conversation. So come with your own ideas. We’ll keep you posted as the event continues to develop.