| CPPW coalition gains momentum |  On April 26, nearly 200 CPPW coalition members gathered to learn from nationally acclaimed speakers, share best practices, and network with other CPPW partners.
The coalition's new governance team was also introduced at the meeting. The coalition is co-chaired by Shelley Cooper-Ashford, executive director of the Center for Multicultural Health, and Nicole Sanders, an associate planner with the City of Snoqualmie. At the meeting, the co-chairs presented draft bylaws, values and objectives for the coalition. The governance team will continue to meet on a regular basis and will carry the work of the coalition forward well beyond of the scope of the CPPW grant.
Read more about the meeting and view the keynote presentation, " National lessons learned from healthy food systems to support policy, systems, and environment changes in King County," on the Healthy King County website. |
| Take a break from sugary drinks with Soda Free Sundays |
On April 27, a coalition of health organizations, children's organizations, businesses and other agencies kicked off "Soda Free Sundays," a six-week campaign to encourage King County residents to take a break from sugary drinks for one day a week for six weeks.
Sugary drinks - like sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened fruit drinks and vitamin drinks - are one of the major contributors to obesity today, particularly among kids. In King County, one in five middle and high school youths are overweight or obese, and over half of King County adults are either overweight or obese.
People are drinking more sugary drinks than before. Cutting back consumption is made more difficult given easy access to cheap soda and other sugary beverages and heavy advertising. Unfortunately, many people, including parents, do not realize how much sugar is actually in these drinks. For example, on average a 20 oz. soda has 16 teaspoons of sugar and 240 calories - double the amount of added sugar recommended for a daily diet. Go to www.sodafreesundays.org to take the Soda Free Sundays Pledge. Whether you are a resident, business or organization in King County, anyone can sign up by taking the pledge.
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| Peer support specialists receive tobacco education and cessation training |
Addressing tobacco use at mental health and substance use disorder agencies is a growing movement. On March 30, 14 peer support specialists from mental health and substance abuse disorder agencies in King County received tobacco education and cessation training to help their peers quit tobacco.
Tobacco use among mental health and substance-using consumers is two to four times higher than the general population and often even higher with diagnoses like schizophrenia. With the tobacco use rates so high among populations at these agencies, peer support specialists trained in tobacco cessation are able to step in and offer support groups, education and information. In fact, they've been identified by leading anti-tobacco advocates and treatment agencies as one of the most effective ways to treat tobacco use. These people are dedicated and invested in their community and in a unique position to help others find hope and recovery.
At the March 30 training, attendees learned about general tobacco use and rate information, the state Quitline, motivational interviewing, carbon monoxide monitor training and a review of support group curriculums. The training was sponsored by by King County Mental Health Chemical and Abuse Dependency Services and CPPW.
 | | Watch highlights from the peer support specialist tobacco training |
Several of the Peer Support Specialists identified themselves as tobacco users and a few shared a strong desire to quit by the end of the training. Several participants shared their thoughts from the day on Flip cam, while another participant announced that she was quitting. These stories and the video will be featured on www.HealthyKingCounty.org.
For more information on the program, contact Sherry McCabe.
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| Spreading the word about Everyone Swims! | |
Seattle Children's Hospital and Puget SoundOff students at Cleveland High School joined forces to get the word out about Everyone Swims! and the power of swimming.
The Everyone Swims! project works to increase access to swimming and water recreation in Seattle and King County. The program focuses on improving scholarship eligibility for swimming lessons, changing practices in community clinics to include screening for swimming ability in children, and developing systems to address barriers to swimming and water recreation.
Puget SoundOff students at Cleveland High School put together a video that will be used in clinic waiting rooms and other places to help get the message out about the importance of swimming. Watch a preview of the video below.
Do you have a creative solution for getting the word out about your
CPPW project? We'd love to hear about it!
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| United People's Farm blog | |
 For the past year, Seattle Tilth and Burst for Prosperity have been working together to build a viable small farm business incubator for refugees, immigrants, and low-income American-born individuals.
The United People's Farm hosts fourteen farmers representing five farming businesses on seven acres in eastern Auburn. The farmers lease small parcels of land at heavily subsidized rates and benefit from lots of one-on-one support to plan and execute their small farm business.
Community partners such as Full Circle Farms, Highline Community College, Neighborhood House, WSU Small Farms Team, Seattle Parks and Recreation, the Puget Sound Food Network, Tilth Providers, the Cascade Harvest Coalition, and others are working hard to ensure the success of the participants.
Goals of the project include increasing participants' opportunities to achieve economic independence through farming and business training, and providing awareness of and access to healthy foods to participants and their communities.
Now, you can follow the progress of the United People's Farm and the participating farmers at a new blog. The blog boasts frequent updates on the doings at the farm, including an interesting slide show documenting the recent building of the first of three on-site hoop houses. The blog also lets readers know how to become involved, either through internships or volunteering. In April, community volunteers will be spending their Saturdays helping to prepare the farm for Spring planting. Come join us!
Link to the blog from the Seattle Tilth website and let us know what you think!
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| CPPW partners in action |  |
Change takes time and it won't be easy, but CPPW partners have already taken steps to build a healthier King County.
April 2011
The King County Board of Health passes Healthy Vending Guidelines to encourage organizations in King County to provide healthier choices in vending machines
Workshop on smoke-free housing for people with chronic mental illness gathers 50 participants.
Childcare centers across King County turn off the TV for Screen Free Week.
Total number of affordable housing units planning to go smoke-free by March 2012 is over 9,000.
March 2011
Seattle Gay News commits to not running tobacco advertising targeting the LGBT community as part of its partnership with Gay City and One Degree Events around Pridefest.
February 2011
A CPPW-funded media campaign increases calls to 1-800-QUIT-NOW, a free resource to help people quit tobacco, by 40 percent.
January 2011
The Healthy Foods Here Produce Manual makes it easier for small grocery and convenience stores to sell fresh produce.
Highline Medical Center goes tobacco-free.
December 2010
The King County Board
of Health passes comprehensive e-cigarette regulations to protect youth in King County.
October 2010
A new education campaign spreads the word about the health impacts of consuming sugar-loaded beverages.
September 2010
CPPW partners working on comprehensive planning gain a valuable tool when the King County Board of Health adopts new Planning for Healthy Communities Guidelines to inform planning decisions and promote health by creating environments that allow people to be physically active, eat healthy food, and live in safe and healthy places.
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| In the news | | |
Has your CPPW project been in the news lately? Send us the clip.
Affordable housing providers join smoke-free trend, The Herald Online, April 29
King County looks to change vending machine snacks, KUOW, April 21
Children urged to "Live Outside the Box" during Screen Free Week, Issaquah Press, April 19
From Farm to Table, KBCS Green ACRES Radio,
April 14
Complete Streets: Intelligent Design for Road Planners, Edmonds Patch, April 12
Digital Storytelling Workshops being conducted at Highpoint Neighborhood House, West Seattle Herald, April 12
Auburn Students Help Their Community Commit to Fit, Let's Move! Blog, April 11
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| Healthy King County update |  | |
Look for upcoming events, join a work group, or simply share a piece of interesting news related to your CPPW work.
Thanks to everyone who has been contributing to Healthy King County! We love to hear about your fantastic work.
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| About CPPW | | |
In the spring of 2010, Public Health - Seattle & King County and partners were awarded a highly competitive Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) grant to advance policy, system and environment changes to create neighborhoods that foster health and reduce disease. For more information on CPPW in King County, please visit our website. If you have any feedback or suggestions on our newsletter, contact Katie Ross.
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