Hello!
Welcome to the new members of Live Well Allegheny!
The campaign to make Allegheny County the healthiest county in the nation continues to grow! On December 16th, we announced that Propel Schools have made the commitment to Live Well Allegheny. The Propel Schools include 11 schools currently open with an additional two schools expected to open next year. We also recognized the Square Café as well as Fuel and Fuddle as Live Well Allegheny Restaurants on December 8th.
As we say hello to 2017, there are a number of observances that remind us to pay attention to those things that may typically fly under the radar. For instance, did you know that about 38% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood at any given time, but less than 10% actually donate? Help celebrate National Blood Donor Month this January by making a contribution! Learn more about donating blood at the American Red Cross website. And please share this information with your stakeholders.
Do you have an event coming up? Please let us know so we can add it to the Live Well Allegheny event calendar. Contact Marie Fontelo (Marie.Fontelo@AlleghenyCounty.us) with details.
Karen Hacker, MD, MPH
Director, Allegheny County Health Department
Campaign Corner
We hosted our first in-person Live Well Allegheny Learning Collaborative meeting on January 10, 2017. We will be sending out a recap of program activities and next steps via email.
Presentation materials and more information about the learning collaborative available on our website.
Phipps and Let’s Move Pittsburgh are hosting a 5-2-1-0 Speaker Series to celebrate the efforts of local organizations who are making a difference in children’s health through the 5-2-1-0 program. The next event will be held on January 12, 2017 from 5:30-7:30 pm at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes.
Attention Live Well Allegheny Workplaces!
Sustainable Pittsburgh is hosting a Green Workplaces Challenge workshop series. The first workshop, Leading the Culture Shift, will be held on January 26th, 2017 from 8-11am. Please visit the website to view previous agendas and learn more about 2017 workshops.
Mark your calendars!
Join the 2017 America Walks Webinar Series, taking place on the second Wednesday of every month. Walkable communities lead to improved safety and health for community members of all backgrounds. To learn more about the list of topics and resources available, please check out their website.
Healthy Out of School Time (HOST) is a partnership between fitUnited, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, and Alliance for a Healthier Generation to implement national HOST framework from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. HOST sites assess their environment, create action plans, and implement changes to improve physical activity and nutrition. Interested in learning more? Please attend their Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, February 7th, 2017 from 11:30AM-1:00PM.
Partner Information
Champion Schools is a mini-grant program offered by Let’s Move Pittsburgh to celebrate schools for leading new or existing programs to improve children’s health with the goal of helping every school in Allegheny County become the healthiest place for kids to learn and grow. There are three categories available for project proposals: Bag the Junk, Get Kids Moving, and Teach Kids to Grow and Cook Food. Applications will be available in February.
What’s Happening in Public Health
Interested in jump starting your New Years Resolution? Join the USDA’s My Plate Challenge! The MyPlate Team is hosting a 5-week challenge, featuring a new food group each week along with physical activity. It is a great opportunity to motivate yourself in addition to coworkers, friends, and family.
Walking is one of the easiest things you can do to improve your health. This year, the American Public Health Association is kicking off 2017 with a One Billion Steps Challenge – the goal is to walk one billion steps by the end of National Public Health Week (April 3-9).
Be a School Wellness Champion!
The United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service released a Local School Wellness Policy Outreach Toolkit. Engage school staff and parents in school wellness using these ready-to-go communication tools.
This is the latest Live Well Allegheny e-update. Please find a variety of information that will be helpful to you in your efforts, and can also be shared within your own networks. As always, you can find a great deal of information on our website at www.livewellallegheny.com, including partner resources which are available here: https://livewellallegheny.com/about-us/live-well-allegheny-participants/partner-materials/.
We now have 33 communities, 8 school districts, 150 community partners, 32 restaurants, and 5 workplaces united in our efforts!