 Healthy Waterville is in the LimelightThe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says that "where you live affects how long you live." Health disparities exist even in a beautiful state like Maine, even in a small city like Waterville.
Here in Northern Kennebec, dozens of organizations and hundreds of individuals are collaborating to create a healthier community for everyone. We have an excellent chance of succeeding thanks to our many partners that are going upstream together to build bridges from poverty to prosperity.
Waterville is poised for transformation. Healthy Northern Kennebec's "Healthy Waterville" initiative just won a $40,000 planning grant from the Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF).
Based on our collaborative efforts, Waterville was recently selected as one of 24 communities nationwide that will receive $60,000 in funding to accelerate and deepen efforts to improve the health of our population. Made possible by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and led by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, these Pacesetter communities will engage in an ambitious initiative called SCALE, or Spreading Community Accelerators through Learning and Evaluation. We are thrilled about this opportunity!
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Public health is a smart investment. Healthy Maine Partnerships are local coalitions of organizations from different sectors that work together to prevent tobacco use, substance abuse and obesity. Healthy Northern Kennebec's diverse coalition partners work together to make our communities healthier places to live, learn, work and play.
Should our state keep the Healthy Maine Partnerships? It's not too late to call your local legislators and share your thoughts. Learn more at: Maine Public Health Association website here and www.healthynorthernkennebec.org.
Enjoy the spring!
Fran Mullin
Healthy Northern Kennebec Director
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  Step into Spring!
Spring is finally here. It is the perfect time to get outside, enjoy the warmer weather, and be more active. Being physically active every day is an important part of being healthy. It can help you feel better, increase energy levels, and reduce your risk for chronic disease. It might seem hard to make being active every day a part of your routine, but stick with it. Try going for a brisk, ten minute walk a few times a day. Work up to 30 minutes of brisk walking or jogging five times a week.
You don't need expensive gym equipment to be active; Kennebec County has lots of great outdoor trails that are free to use. Many of them are also smoke-free. Healthy Northern Kennebec has a list of local outdoor walking/running/biking maps. Click here for local outdoor walking sites. You can also follow us on Facebook for updates on our participation with Waterville Walks.
Jamie Cotnoir, Grant Coordinator
Healthy Northern Kennebec
jcotnoir@healthynorthernkennebec.org
861-5203
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SNAP-Ed Snapshot
We are pleased to announce that we are back to being full-staffed, with the hiring of Jacqueline Stevens, a dietitian/nutritionist. Prior to coming to Healthy Northern Kennebec (HNK), she was the SNAP-Ed coordinator and nutrition educator at Healthy Communities of the Capital Area.
A little over halfway through our work year, we've been very busy providing nutrition education in the HNK area. We visit 62 K-3 classrooms monthly with a fruit or vegetable taste test, reaching almost 1100 students. The April taste test has been asparagus and bok choy.
Several sessions of nutrition education and food preparation were provided to children in the Winslow and Vassalboro After School Program. The highlight was preparing a banana "ice cream" with just bananas!
The curriculum Eat Well Play Hard was taught to children in 6 Educare classrooms. They learned to try new foods, and to "don't yuk my yum." About a dozen Educare parents are participating in a 6 week Cooking Matters series, with head chef Dave Poulin, Family Service Coordinator Jen Hickey and SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator, Madeleine Martin co-teaching.
For more information on SNAP-Ed Programs contact:
Madeleine Martin, SNAP-Ed Coordinator
Healthy Northern Kennebec
mmartin@healthynorthernkennebec.org
861-5204
or
Jacqueline Stevens, SNAP-Ed Health Educator
Healthy Northern Kennebec
jstevens@healthynorthernkennebec.org
872-4485
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Sunday, May 17 - 5K Walk Run Event On Sunday, May 17, Youth Matter! and Healthy Northern Kennebec are hosting the Healthy Central Maine 5K Walk/Run to celebrate Prevention Week! The race begins at 1:00pm but join us at noon at North Street Park for a mini health fair to learn about some of the programs that local health vendors offer. There will be gift card prizes for the fastest male and female runners in six different age categories: 12 and under, 13-18, 19-30, 31-40, 41-50 and 50+. The goal of this race is to make Mainers in the area aware of the good that prevention can do and to give them resources to get and stay healthy.
Sarah Johnson, Outreach Coordinator
Youth Matter! youthmatter2sarah@gmail.com
859-9840 |
Congratulations to RSU #18 Regional School Unit No.18 was awarded the 2015 Farm to School Planning Grant for the "Let's Go Farm to School RSU #18 Program". The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) in an effort to connect our school cafeterias with local farmers through our Farm to School Program. The USDA's Farm to School Grants help schools respond to the growing demand for locally sourced foods and increase market opportunities for producers and food businesses.RSU #18 is part of a cohort of schools/districts in the United States planning robust farm to school programs. RSU #18 is one of two grants awarded to the State of Maine and the only School District to receive a grant this year. RSU #18 was awarded $44,213.28 to develop a Farm to School Implementation Plan to focus on the 3 C's of Farm to School which include Cafeteria, Classroom and Community. Claire Heffernan, School Health Coordinator/Grant Project Director and William Hamilton, School Nutrition Director are working closely with the "Let's Go Farm to School to RSU #18 Advisory Group with representation from each school and community to administer the grant within the one year timeframe with options to apply for the $100,000 Implementation grant after completion of the "Let's Go Farm to School RSU #18" Planning grant.
The RSU #18 Let's Go Farm to School to RSU #18 draft vision is "Regional School Unit No. 18 is committed to implementing a sustainable farm to school program that supports our school nutrition program and actively involves our learners, employees, schools and communities through the promotion of wellness, healthy local foods and healthy living choices for our learners". RSU #18 will partner with Healthy Northern Kennebec to submit an application for the USDA Farm to School Support Services Program grant. Claire Heffernan, School Health Coordinator RSU 18
cheffernan@rsu18.org
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 KVCAP is Celebrating 50 Years of Community Action! And You're Invited on Saturday, June 20 from11:00am - 2:00pm at Educare Central Maine. Bring your friends & family and enjoy a barbecue, live entertainment, children's activities, bounce house, reptile demo & more! For more information about the celebration click here. Andrea Pasco, Development Director Kennebec Valley Community Action Program andreap@kvcap.org 859-1630 |
 Upcoming Youth Initiative events in Belgrade Belgrade Regional Health Center is partnering with Belgrade Central School to hold a 'Walk Across Maine'. On May 29th, health center providers will lead the school in a wellness assembly. Students, teachers, and health center staff will walk the total combined miles from Escourt Station (Maine's northernmost point) to the Portland Sea Dogs Hadlock Field. The event will conclude with a health snack provided by the health center. Belgrade Regional Health Center is also collaborating with SNAP-Ed coordinators from Healthy Northern Kennebec to offer a Cooking Matters for Families class. The class will run every Wednesday from June 10th to July 14th, 4:30-6:30 PM, at the Union Church of Belgrade Lakes. Children ages 11 to 14 and their families will learn to prepare delicious, healthy meals together at home. Both of these programs are made possible by the HealthReach Youth Initiative, which aims to promote nutrition and physical activity to children and families in order to address childhood obesity. The Youth Initiative helps HealthReach achieve its mission of providing quality, affordable, patient-centered healthcare in the medically underserved communities of Central and Western Maine. For more information, please contact Eva Greenthal, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, HealthReach Community Health Centers at eva.greenthal@healthreach.org or 207-660-9915.
Joshua D'Errico, Communications Department
HealthReach
Joshua.Derrico@HealthReach.org
660-9914
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Coming in June - Waterville Walks!
Waterville Walks is a volunteer supported, community walking program designed to get people of all ages moving, socially connected, and gaining the health benefits of regular exercise. Volunteer walk leaders are needed! If you would like to help lead walks, promote the program or learn more, please contact ewells@emhs.org or 861-3292.
Ellen Wells, Community Wellness Coordinator
Inland Hosptial
ewells@emhs.org
861-3292
 
18th annual Women's Wellness a Success
Inland Hospital's 18th annual World of Women's Wellness health fair brought more than 450 women together for a day of wellness, pampering, and learning on March 28, 2015 at Thomas College in Waterville. This year's World of Women's Wellness offered free health screenings, spa samples, wellness exhibits, and several fun, interactive demonstrations.
The popular event provided more than 1,700 free health screenings including blood pressure, cholesterol, bone density, abdominal aortic aneurysm screening, posture, skin analysis, and more. Dozens of local businesses and organizations united to bring the Central Maine community the premier wellness event of the year. This event continues to be a huge success thanks to the coordinated efforts of hundreds of Inland employees, community volunteers, and collaborating partners.
New this year, all attendees set an action step to make a change that can make a positive impact on their long-term health. An attendee noted, "I felt that this event inspired me to become more aware of my health and well-being. I need to take action now to prevent health risks." Many of the women indicated the event motivated them to become more active, make better nutrition choices, improve their posture, and be more sun-safe. Several were planning to follow up with their providers after the event.
On-stage interactive demonstrations offered participants opportunities to have fun while learning helpful, easy cooking tips by Hannaford Dietitian, Mary Lavanway and new ways to be active by Jazzercise Waterville and Inland RehabWorks. Hannaford generously served up a variety of delicious samplings throughout the day at their popular booth. The event was brought to a close with the beautiful sounds of the Over the River Ringers.
Laura Howell, Community Relations Assistant
Inland Hospital
lhowell@emhs.org
861-3293
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One Year Anniversary Celebration
In April 2015, the Healthy Living Resource Center (HLRC) celebrated one year of providing innovative and experiential health education classes and events for the communities in the Greater Kennebec Area. A special event commemorating the occasion provided the opportunity to thank the many volunteers, instructors and partners that have contributed to the education of over 2,000 participants in healthy lifestyle changes.
A year of quarterly class data shows that 95-99% of participants have learned new skills by taking one of the HLRC classes, and 92-98% are likely to implement what they have learned into daily life.
Spring classes run through June 2015. There is still room in some of the classes:
Healthy Cooking and Eating: Eating to Boost Brain Power and Make Your Own Spring Rolls
Physical Movement: Ayurvedic Yoga, Strengthen & Lengthen Your Muscles, Tai Chi for Health, and ZumbaŽ for Beginners
Healthy Mind-Body: Enhance Your Health with Essential Oils, Healing Meditation with Crystal Bowls, Healing with Clay and Secrets to Transforming Stress
View the entire list of classes and register online at www.mainegeneral.org by clicking on "Search All Classes and Events" or by calling 626-1275.
Wendy Jorgensen, HLRC Associate
Healthy Living Resource Center
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Crisis & Counseling Centers to Mark 45th Anniversary with Annual Celebration & Art Reception
Crisis & Counseling Centers (C&C) will host its 2015 Annual Celebration & Art Reception on Thursday, May 14 at Governor Hill Mansion in Augusta.
2015 marks C&C's 45th anniversary - four-and-a-half decades of bringing leadership and innovation to Maine's behavioral health care system. The agency invites the public to attend and honor local businesses and individuals who go above and beyond to assist people with mental health, substance abuse and co-occurring issues.
While this will be the agency's 10th year hosting an Annual Celebration, this is the first year the event will incorporate an art reception. Local student artwork will be on display as a gesture of support for community members facing behavioral health concerns.
The event will include recognition of some of C&C's key community partners, including Gardiner Main Street's Executive Director Patrick Wright, The Red Barn and Sergeant Vicente Morris of Augusta Police Department.
The evening will include an art reception and hors d'oeuvres from 4 to 6 p.m., as well as a full dinner and program starting at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets are now available for $35 per person or $225 for a table of eight. To register, contact Executive Assistant JoEllen Staples at 207.213.4536.
Courtney Yeager, Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator Crisis & Counseling Centers cyeager@crisisandcounseling.org 213-4523 |
Summertime Living and ADHD
With summer vacation for school-aged children upon us, many parents might find themselves wondering how to occupy their child's time. This can be especially challenging for youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When your child has ADHD, you can anticipate a couple of things about summertime: your child is likely to get bored easily and often and will become demanding of your time, attention and patience. Here are a few tips to help manage the lack of structure that summertime brings: - Have a summer calendar: Make sure that the days your there is camp or trips are listed as a visual for the child to see and prepare for.
- Try to keep the routine: Be consistent with bedtime most nights and have a designated "study time" if necessary. If your child can read, have him or her read a little daily.
- Make time to play: Take 30 minutes to play with your child. You and your child will benefit from this bonding time.
Lastly, remember while consistency is important, summertime is also about down time and relaxation. Elizabeth Keane Kennebec Behavioral Health ekeane@kbhmaine.org 873-2163 |
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