Welcome to the newest members of Live Well Allegheny: the Municipality of Penn Hills, Avonworth School District, Grounded Strategies, and Azorean Café. Thank you for your commitment to health and wellness!

Winter months can create barriers to starting or maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Frigid temperatures and hazardous roadways can discourage us from being physically active and eating healthy foods. Although it is cold, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities for physical activity during the winter months. Looking for tips on getting outside this winter? Check out these tips from the American Heart Association for advice on staying active in cold weather!

While it is important to stay active during the winter months, it is equally important to be aware of the dangers of cold weather. Use this fact sheet from the PA Department of Health to prepare your family for winter weather. Also, check out tips and information from Allegheny County on how to prepare for and deal with extreme cold.

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. Please check the partner resources page of the web site for additional resources.

Like and follow the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) on Facebook to stay up-to-date on all the ACHD news.

Karen Hacker, MD, MPH
Director, Allegheny County Health Department

Allegheny County Health Department (in partnership with Pittsburgh Action Against Rape) is offering a Parents in the Know training at Homestead Library on Wednesday afternoons (1pm-3pm) from February 13^th to March 6^th.

Parents in the Know is an innovative practice-based child sexual abuse prevention program that helps parents, guardians, and other adults build, practice and strengthen skills to prevent child sexual abuse. These skills include: promoting safe and respectful behaviors, recognizing questionable behaviors in adults, and talking with children about respectful relationships and age-appropriate sexual development. If you are interested in attending or holding a Parents in the Know training, please contact Leah Pope at leah.pope@alleghenycounty.us.

Did you know there is a Recess Advocacy Team in Pittsburgh? The Recess Advocacy Team is a group of organizations dedicated to health and wellness, education, and play with a focus on recess practices and policies in pre-k through sixth grade in Allegheny County. Want to learn more about the group? Sign up to learn more about the team, their work, next steps, or how to get involved.

Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant’s Straw Forward Exhibit is now open at the Carnegie Science Center! Straw Forward demonstrates a community-wide collaborative effort to accelerate an important message about the global issue of plastic pollution–from a local perspective. The installation comprises more than 25,000 plastic straws collected from 37 Pittsburgh-based restaurants, nonprofits, and businesses between June and October of 2018. The exhibit is open through February 15^th. For more information, please visit: sustainablepittsburgh.org.

Are you trying to quit smoking in 2019? Join Healthy Start, Inc. for a smoking cessation class on February 26^th! The class will cover the health risks of smoking and provide resources to help you quit. The class is free and is being held at Human Services Center Corporation in Turtle Creek. To register, please visit: www.eventbrite.com.

The National Kidney Foundation is rolling out the red carpet for the 2019 Kidney Gift of Life Gala! The gala will be held March 9^th and will spotlight the Gift of Life Awardees. The Gift of Life Awards Ceremony will honor: P. Brennan Hart, Esq.–John V. Heher Humanitarian Awardee; Mrs. Joy Starzl in honor of Dr. Thomas E. Starzl–Legacy of Leadership Awardee; Sandeep Sharma, MD – Medical Awardee; Jack Silverstein – Small Hands, Big Heart Volunteer Awardee.

The night will feature live music, passed appetizers and plated dinner, open bar, silent auction, photobooth, and more! Learn more at www.kidney.org/PittsburghGala.

Save the date for the Empty Bowls dinner on March 10^th! The annual Empty Bowls dinner serves up a simple meal of soup and bread as a reminder that too many people throughout our region are facing hunger with “empty bowls”. This year’s event benefiting Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Just Harvest will feature artisan pottery for guests to take home, soups from local restaurants, children’s activities and an auction featuring artwork and celebrity-autographed bowls. There are two times you can join the event: 1-3:30 p.m. or 4-6 p.m. For more information about the event, please visit: www.pittsburghfoodbank.org.

Join Tobacco Free Allegheny for a Quarterly Coalition Meeting on March 14^th! The meeting will include information and discussion about tobacco’s impact on disparate populations and the prevalence of co-existing conditions. To register, please visit: www.eventbrite.com.

February is American Heart Month. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, and most middle-aged people and young adults have one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or being a smoker or overweight. Having more than one risk factor increases your risk for heart disease much more than having just one.

Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce your risk of heart disease. To celebrate American Heart Month, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is launching the #OurHearts movement, to inspire people to protect and strengthen their hearts with the support of others. Making the following heart healthy lifestyle changes will be easier and more successful if you work with other motivated people: get physically active, achieve a healthy weight and maintain it, eat heart healthy foods, and quit smoking.

For more ways to celebrate American Heart Month, check out the toolkit below!

Did you know February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month? Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is a national effort to raise awareness and protect teens from violence. Each year, about one in 10 high school students experience physical abuse from an intimate partner.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed an evidence-based training called Dating Matters to teach adults who work with youth how to identify and discuss healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors. The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Southwest PA Says No More offer in-person and online Dating Matters trainings. To learn more about the training opportunity, please visit: https://southwestpasaysnomore.org/dating-matters/.

Concerned about a teen who may be experiencing dating violence? The National Domestic Violence Hotline is here to help. The hotline provides 24-hour national web-based and telephone resources to help teens experiencing dating abuse. Young people (as well as concerned friends, parents, teachers, clergy, law enforcement and service providers) anywhere in the country can call toll free, 1-866-331-9474, text “loveis” to 22522, or log on to the interactive website, loveisrespect.org, and receive immediate, confidential assistance.

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.

We now have 62 municipalities, 48 restaurants, 28 workplaces and 16 school districts united in our efforts!