The holiday season is upon us. For some, that means festive decorations, sweet treats, and family traditions. For others, this time of year can create anxiety and stress. This stress is sometimes associated with the added demands of the holiday season such as financial responsibilities, managing family traditions, and perhaps the expectation of a perfect holiday experience.  This stress can also disrupt our normal dietary and exercise routines and impact our overall health.

Managing your stress and taking care of your health is important throughout the year, but it is especially important during the holiday season. Maintaining a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep and regular exercise are great ways to help us enjoy the holiday season.

The American Heart Association, a Live Well Allegheny Community Partner, has some great tips for managing stress.

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. And don’t forget to check the partner resources page of the web site for additional resources.

Also, be sure to like and follow the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) on Facebook to stay up-to-date on all ACHD news.

From all of us at the Allegheny County Health Department, happy holidays!  Live Well.

Ronald A. Sugar, Esq., MBA
Acting Director, Allegheny County Health Department

The Allegheny County Health Department recently awarded 13 mini-grants to local organizations in African American communities to complete projects that will increase access to healthy foods, options for physical activity, and connect residents to clinical care. Read more here: http://bit.ly/2EcZXeZ.

Many Pennsylvania residents have limited access to healthy foods. Learn how communities across Pennsylvania, including in Allegheny County, have worked with corner food stores to increase access to healthier food and beverage options.

Find out more about these success stories from the Centers for Disease Control: https://nccd.cdc.gov/nccdsuccessstories/TemplateSeven.aspx?s=14847&ds=1.

The PA Department of Environmental Protection is offering grants of up to $200,000 to aid eligible nonprofit organizations with proper food management. According to DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell, “Access to fresh food in underserved communities is a public health and quality of life issue, but it’s also an environmental justice issue. While traveling across the state, my staff and I often hear from underserved communities that access to fresh food is a significant concern, so we wanted to do our part to address this issue in a meaningful, environmentally focused way.”

For more information about this funding opportunity visit this link: https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Land/Waste/Recycling/Municipal-Resources/FinancialAssistance/Pages/default.aspx.

The PA Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the #PAFarmBill Farm to School Grant Program!

This program aims to enrich the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local producers by changing food purchasing behaviors and education practices at schools and early childhood education sites.

For more info: http://bit.ly/FarmtoSchoolPA

To apply https://bit.ly/2YkSTsS

PeopleForBikes is a national movement to make riding better for everyone. By collaborating with millions of individual riders, businesses, community leaders, and elected officials, the organization is uniting people to create a powerful, united voice for cycling and its benefits.

The PeopleForBikes Community Grant Program provides funding for important and influential projects that leverage federal funding and build momentum for bicycling in communities across the U.S. These projects include bike paths and rail trails, as well as mountain bike trails, bike parks, BMX facilities, and large-scale bicycle advocacy initiatives.

PeopleForBikes accepts grant applications from non-profit organizations with a focus on bicycling, active transportation, or community development, from city or county agencies or departments, and from state or federal agencies working locally. PeopleForBikes only funds projects in the United States.

The application deadline is Friday, April 3, 2020.

Grant guidelines are posted at http://peopleforbikes.org/grant-guidelines/.

The on-line application process can be accessed at http://peopleforbikes.org/apply-now/.

The CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state and local health departments, including ACHD, and other clinical and public health partners are investigating a national outbreak of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI). In Allegheny County we have 20 confirmed/probable cases of severe pulmonary disease associated with vaping. There are no additional cases under investigation at this time.

Are you working with youth and interested in educating them about e-cigarette use? Live Well Allegheny Community Partner, Tobacco Free Allegheny, has an E-Cigarette Toolkit on their web site that includes a fact sheet, presentation for educators, a presentation for youth and other resources. These resources are available at this link:

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 195 community partners, 68 communities, 51 restaurants, 33 workplaces and 18 school districts united in our efforts!