National Great Outdoors Month

For generations, America's great outdoors have ignited our imaginations, bolstered our economy, and fueled our national spirit of adventure and independence. The United States holds a stunning array of natural beauty -- from sweeping rangelands and tranquil beaches, to forests stretching over rolling hills and rivers raging through stone-faced cliffs. During Great Outdoors Month, we rededicate ourselves to experiencing and protecting these unique landscapes and treasured sites.  To learn more visit www.AmericasGreatOutdoors.gov. 

The fee free dates for the National Parks System for 2012 are January 14 to 16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend), April 21 to 29 (National Park Week), June 9 (Get Outdoors Day), September 29 (National Public Lands Day), and November 10 to 12 (Veterans Day weekend). More information is available at www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm.

National Home Safety Month

You will find a wealth of information from across Safe Kids USA, covering everything from safety basics, fact sheets and lesson plans to celebrate Home Safety Month year round at www.safekids.org and www.homesafetycouncil.org

National Safety Month

National Headache Awareness Month

Migraine Awareness Month

National Headache Foundation is asking everyone to assist in their efforts to raise headache awareness. Migraine and other headache disorders are not widely recognized. As part of our 2012 Migraine Awareness Campaign, National Headache Foundation asks everyone to help encourage employers, insurers, health care providers, government agencies, and even family members to recognize migraine and other headache disorders as a serious neurobiological disease. To learn more visit www.headaches.org

National Trails Day

National Trails Day® is a celebration of trails that evolved from the report of President Ronald Reagan's President's Commission on Americans Outdoors. In 1987, the report recommended that all Americans be able to go out their front doors and within fifteen minutes, be on trails that wind through their cities or towns and bring them back without retracing steps. The recommendation, dubbed Trails for All Americans, became the impetus behind several public and private parties joining American Hiking Society in launching National Trails Day® in 1993.  To learn more visit www.americanhiking.org.  See resource section to find a trail near you.

National Men's Health Month 

National Men's Health Week

The purpose of Men's Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This month gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. To learn more visit www.menshealthmonth.org.  To download your free Blueprint for Men's Health visit www.blueprintformenshealth.com 

My Farewell

This is my final newsletter as the Adult and Worksite Wellness Program Manager at Healthy Communities of the Capital Area. As many of you know I have accepted a position with SafetyWorks! as an Occupational Safety Engineer and started on May 14th. My parting has been bitter sweet, as I leave this great team here at Healthy Communities of the Capital Area and so many of you. I greatly appreciate all of your emails, personal notes and conversations regarding how much you have enjoyed this newsletter for the last several years.  It has been a pleasure to create.  I am so grateful to have worked with so many amazing people on health and wellness and public health issues as we improved the lives of the people of Southern Kennebec County.  I hope you are very successful in your future and continued efforts.  If you are ready to integrate Safety and Health into your wellness program my contact information is below.

My new contact information is:

E-mail:  amy.e.wagner@maine.gov

Office: 623-7965

Cell: 592-5546

Thank you

Amy

Enbracing What Life Brings                                                          

The emotional wellbeing of human nature can be felt through it myriad of expressions. Life has its way of taking us on adventures whether we are buckled in for the ride or just sitting on the tail gate. We all have different ways we are equipped or ill equipped at dealing with the journey. We find out as we go the best way for our individual wellbeing.

Through self- reflection I gain a better understanding of my purpose here in this lifetime and the impact that loved one's I am surrounded by have on my personal growth. I have found that true blessings come in the form of Love. As we live our daily lives we may not recognize this because it may seem disguised or camouflaged.   Life has given me beautiful opportunities to return this Gift called Love to special people and strangers. Our time here on Earth can seem so brief even if it is over nearly a Century of time. What we can accomplish with whatever time we are given is so profound.

The impacts of the stone sent skipping across the top of flat water can explain those effects with the ripples we witness. I encourage you to embrace your journey one step at a time, being mindful to what is in front of you and how you are being with what is.

Namaste,

Sara M. Dostie

Owner of Healing Hands Holistic Wellness LLC

60 South Birchwood Lane,

Winthrop, ME 04360

Massage Clients are seen by appointment only, Hours are Monday - Friday (9 to 5)

Exploration in nature can be scheduled on weekdays or weekends for a cluster of hours or predetermined amount of days depending on personalized goals or destinations geared to a small groups or individuals.

Resources:

Tobacco Cessation:

Maine Tobacco Helpline - It is Free - It is Confidential and it Works! 

Website - www.thequitlink.org

Facebook page - www.facebook.com/QuitLink

Twitter page - http://twitter.com/quitlink

Augusta Police Department,

33 Union Street

Gardiner Police Department,

6 Church Street

Winthrop Police Department, 15 Town Hall Lane

Kennebec Sheriff's Office,

125 State Street, Augusta

Hallowell Police Department is accepting medications to be disposed but the site does not have a drop box.

If you are unable to get to any of these sites to safety dispose your unwanted medications Kennebec Sheriff's Office will pick them up.  For more information call KSO at 623-2270. 

Educational Resources:

Wellness Council of Maine

For a full listing of Wellness Council of Maine training opportunities visit:

www.wellnesscouncilofmaine.org

Contact Willow Sherwood

email: director@wellnesscouncilofmaine.org

Telephone: 207-947-0307

Southern Maine Wellness Council 

For a full listing of Southern Maine Wellness Council training opportunities visit www.mmc.org/lifeline_body.cfm?id=7119

For more information contact Thomas Downing, Director

Lifeline Workplace Wellness Program

Maine Medical Center

Division of Community and Prevention Medicine

Falmouth, ME 04105

P: 207-781-1545

E: downit@mmc.org

W: www.mmc.org/lifelinewellness

SafetyWorks!  can help you prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths and reduce related costs. Our services are free and confidential and we don't issue fines or citations.

Safety Works! help keep workers safe and healthy. And we help businesses thrive, because you will save 4-6 dollars for every dollar you invest in safety. The old adage is true - it pays to be safe!

SafetyWorks! specializes in practical solutions to help make workplaces safer and healthier.   They want your workplace to be as safe and healthy as possible.   To learn more visit http://safetyworksmaine.com/

Offers individuals with diabetes another option in managing their diabetes without the hassle of transportation issues.  Worksites looking to offer TDES as a benefit or to learn more call Jo-Anne Bushey at 622-7566 extension 223 or visit www.tdes.me  

A FREE online site that offers free nutrition and exercise trackers, recipes, shopping lists, online communities to join, and health information.  Members set goals and can receive online support.  To learn more or join visit www.sparkpeople.com

This FREE online site tracks daily food intake, using MyPlate for Diabetes and non-diabetes, exercise and weight, includes detailed exercise routine, calculates body mass index (BMI) and recommended daily caloric intake based weight, height, weight loss goals, activity levels, etc for FREE.  To learn more or to join visit www.livestrong.com

A FREE online site where members can calculate and record daily food intake and exercise, track weight loss and monitor goals.  To learn more or join visit www.fitday.com

The USDAhas created a tool for tracking food intake, physical activity and balancing the two.  To learn more visit www.choosemyplate.gov 

Heart 360 is a convenient and secure location for you to track and manage your heart health.  Record your health data with Heart 360 online trackers, access additional information and resources on how to be heart healthy, and even share your results with your healthcare provider.  To learn more visit www.heart360.org

Start! is the American Heart Association's program to get Americans walking to improve heart health. To learn more visit startwalkingnow.org

America On the Move (AOM) is an evidence-based nonprofit dedicated to help you take small steps and make small lifestyle changes for a healthier way of life.  This site contains health information, eating, walking, healthy lifestyle tracking programs and health assessments.  To learn more visit www.americaonthemove.org

Many of the sites I work with are promoting Couch to 5K, a beginner's running schedule has helped thousands of new runners get off the couch and onto the roads, running 3 miles in just two months.  To learn more visit www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

This free resource lets you track the food you eat and the exercise you participate in on their website or with free mobile apps: www.myfitnesspal.com

Learn more about portion size, balanced meals, and get healthy eating tips at www.choosemyplate.gov

OA is a twelve step program for people with problems related to food.  To learn more or to find a meeting near you visit www.oa.org

Healthy Maine Walks  www.healthymainewalks.org

Move More  www.movemore.org

Healthy Communities of the Capital Area  www.healthycommunitiesme.org

Maine Trail Finder www.mainetrailfinder.com

Maine State Parks Trails  www.trails.com/state-park-trails.aspx?keyword=state%20park&state=ME

Kennebec Land Trust  www.tklt.org

Kennebec River Rail Trail  www.krrt.org

Viles Arboretum  www.vilesarboretum.org

Trails  www.trails.com

Does Someone You Know Have an Opioid Addiction?

Free monthly meetings to learn about addiction, medication-assisted treatment and recovery 

Meetings are held the third Tuesday at noon at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 69 Winthrop Street.  For more information call Jayne Harper at  621-3740 or Helen Pare at 266-8881

Meetings are at 12:30 pm at the Eskelund Center at the Maine Children's Home, 93 Silver Street, Waterville,  for more information call Jayne Harper at 621-3740 or Brenda Radel at 872-7272 

Sponsored by the Maine Recovery Communities Coalition.  All Recovery Support Meetings welcome people from every addiction recovery pathway.  Meetings are free of charge.

When:  Thursdays

Where: Green Street Methodist Church, 14 Green Street, Augusta

For more information call Deb Dettor at 458-4366 or Peter Wohl at 626-3448

Find a Meeting Near You:

To find Alcohol Anonymous, Al Anon, Cocaine Anonymous, Co Anon, Narcotics Anonymous and Narcotics Anon meetings near your visit www.usrecovery.info/AA/Maine.htm

Find out how you can take advantage of low cost mediation and conflict coaching services. Mediation Services is a  program of Volunteers of America Northern New England. Please contact Nancy Markowitz, Program Director at (207) 373-1140 ext 229, mediate@voanne.org or www.voanne.org

430-8334 or www.mcedv.org.

1-800-799-SAFE, 1-866-834-4357 

www.familyviolenceproject.org or call 623-8637. 

The Augusta Crisis Line

Hardy Girls, Healthy Women www.hardygirlshealthywomen.org

Silent No More www.silentnomore.org

The Grandest Parents of All

A support group and series of workshops for grandparents and other relatives raising young children.  Meetings are held the third Thursday each month, 5-7 pm at Educare, 56 Drummond Ave, Waterville, for more information call Samantha Thibodeau at 626-3497

Health Risk Assessment Resource:

KeepMEWell

To take the free, easy, private health risk assessment visit www.keepmewell.org

The goals of KeepMeWell are to assist Maine adult residents to:

* Assess their risk for chronic disease

* Receive feedback that promotes action to address identified health risks

* Link to local community resources that assist residents in taking action to lower their risk for disease and improve their health

* Link uninsured and underinsured residents to healthcare services at no cost or slide scale cost

KeepMEWell is a free public service offered by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), Maine Department of Health and Human Services.  No personal information about individuals will be collected.  Only the individual will decide what to do with their personal results.  To participate fully, you will need a computer, internet access and a printer.

One great use of the personal results report is to use it as a conversation starter with your primary healthcare provider to develop a personal health plan with personal goals to address your health concerns.

 Still looking for a resource check out 211

Call 211 or go online at www.211maine.org

Check out this fun video

Inspiring Exercise

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

Farmers Markets

Augusta:

Farmer's Market at Mill Park

1 North Water Street, the old Edwards Mills site

May-November

Tuesdays 2-6pm

www.farmersmarketmillpark.org

Augusta Farmers Market 

Turnpike Mall

 Western Ave/Whitten Road 

June-October

Wednesdays and Saturdays

9am-12pm (noon)

Viles Arboretum Farmers Market

153 Hospital Street

May-November

Fridays 2-6pm

Gardiner:

Gardiner's Farmers Market 

On the Commons

Route 201

May-October

Wednesdays 2-6pm

Hallowell:

Hallowell Market Day

at the foot of Winthrop Street on Water Street (Route 201)

May to October

Sundays 11am-3pm

 Manchester

 Mayflower Farmers Market

Route 17, next to Post office at the big red barn

May-November

Wednesdays 3-6pm

Saturday 10am-2pm 

Wayne 

 Wayne's Farmers Market

Bridge Street, in the park between the mill stream and the general store

July-September

Sunday Mornings

Winthrop

Winthrop Farmers Market

Location: TBD

May-October

Tuesdays and Saturdays 9am-1pm 

Other Options: 

Our Board of Directors 

Mary Frances Bartlett

Rebecca West Dick

Dick Dyer

Rob Gordon, Treasurer

Patricia Hopkins

Kala Ladenheim

William McPeck, Vice Chair

Emilie van Eeghen

Frederick A. White, PhD

Jim Wood, Chair

Mark Yerrick, Secretary

Our Towns

Augusta

Chelsea

Farmingdale

Fayette

Gardiner

Hallowell

Litchfield

Manchester

Monmouth

Mount Vernon

Pittston

Randolph

Readfield

Richmond

Vienna

Wayne