North Hills School District

County Executive Rich Fitzgerald celebrated the Live Well Allegheny Schools designation for the North Hills School District by visiting Highcliff Elementary School and taking part in a food demonstration where he helped students make and taste green smoothies (packed with fruits and vegetables). This is part of the district’s commitment to the Pennsylvania farm to school partnership that incorporates more local foods into school meals. The partnership also educates students through monthly food demonstrations, like the one that took place at Highcliff.

MEE Productions Inc.

MEE (Motivational Educational Entertainment) Productions Inc., is a communications, marketing research and social-marketing firm that specializes in developing cost-effective, cutting edge and culturally-relevant messages for hard-to-reach, low-income and underserved audiences. MEE  worked with the Health Department and Department of Human Services to develop and execute the United Against COVID campaign, a community engagement initiative focused on supporting ethnic and minority communities in Allegheny County that were disproportionately affected by COVID-19.  

View the campaign website!

To become a Live Well Partner each organization pledges to further the Live Well Allegheny mission of promoting health and wellness in their organization.  

April is National Minority Health Month. This year’s theme is “Better Health Through Better Understanding,” which highlights how improving communication can help us advance health equity for racial and ethnic minorities.

The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program, a CDC-funded initiative managed by the Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention Program, works to reduce racial health disparities by addressing several of the risk factors associated with chronic disease in our Black communities. A diverse coalition of partners are working together to ensure access to healthy food, safe outdoor spaces, and health care.

Here are some examples of the work supported through the REACH project:

• Safer, healthier conditions. Through municipal partnerships, traffic calming, and safety solutions are being put in place to make it safer and easier for people to walk or bike to their destinations. School lunch guidelines are being evaluated to make meals healthier and more connected to local farms.
• Nutrition support starting at birth. Breastfeeding offers health benefits for babies and moms. Breastfeeding circles breastfeeding 101 classes, and 24-hour-on-call Latch Line helps more Black families start and continue nursing.
• Increase in healthy behaviors. REACH has helped Black residents get screened, keep their doctor’s appointments, and eat healthier foods to reach goals of achieving healthier weights, improving blood pressure, and lowering blood sugar.

The REACH Coalition recently released a video that highlights the successes of the past grant year, you can learn more on the REACH page.

April is Stress Awareness Month

Stress is a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. This is a natural human response that alert us to address challenges and threats. Everyone experiences stress. Learning to cope with stress in a healthy way will help you, the people you care about and those around you become more resilient.

Helpful ways to manage stress include:

• Take breaks from news stories and social media
• Eat healthy
• Get enough sleep
• Focus on moving more and sitting less
• Limit alcohol and smoking
• Connect with others

For more stress reduction resources check out the link here.

Move Your Way

Kids need 60 minutes of activity each day. That may sound like a lot for a school day, but it doesn’t have to happen all at once. Move Your Way has physical activity resources just for kids. Check out this fact sheet to help motivate your kids to be more active.

Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Announces Parks Rx

Pittsburgh’s parks are yours for the playing! Getting outside and moving your body is a great way to stay healthy. Use these three steps to get started:

1. Find your nearest Park
2. Plan your visit\
3. Go out and play 

 Some local parks also offer park activity sheets. You can find them here.

If you don’t live near a Pittsburgh park, be sure to check out the closest Allegheny County park near you here. 

Save the Date: Ultimate Play Day

This event, brought to you by the Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative, will be held on Sunday, May 7 from 1-4 p.m. at Lower McKinley Park (Bausman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15210) will celebrate playfulness for people of all ages! This is a free, family-friendly event that encourages play through hands-on activities, entertainment, and refreshments. For more information about Ultimate Play Day, visit their website here.

Rethink Your Drink Campaign

As part of Live Well Allegheny, the Health Department has launched a campaign to educate residents on the effects of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages and to encourage healthier beverage options, called “Rethink Your Drink!”

The campaign has three main objectives:

1. Educate about the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages on overall health and wellness
2. Empower children and families to rethink their drink choices by choosing healthier options
3. Provide resources to residents and community partners

Campaign partners will receive access to the Rethink Your Drink toolkit, which includes:

• Activities to educate about sugar-sweetened beverages
• Social media messages
• Sample newsletter content

The campaign information can also be found at: livewellallegheny.com/rethinkyourdrink

We are currently looking for community organizations, municipalities, and schools to partner with us to educate our residents about the health benefits of rethinking their drinks.

To partner with us, contact:

Julia McAfee
Public Health Educator
Juilia.mcafee@alleghenycounty.us
412-209-4437