Congratulations to our newest Live Well Allegheny members, the Township of Upper St. Clair, our newest community, and to Greater Valley Community Services, our newest workplace! Thank you for your commitment to improving the health of Allegheny County residents.

Did you know that September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month? One-in-5 children in the United States are obese, and here in Allegheny County, our rates are even higher. According to 2012-2013 school data, 31% of children in Allegheny County are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for developing health problems like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. The good news? Childhood obesity can be prevented, and we encourage your family to make healthy changes together: get active, limit screen time, and prepare healthy meals. Small changes can help children stay at a healthy weight and encourage lifelong wellness.

September is also Fruits & Veggies – More Matters Month. Celebrate by increasing your intake of produce. Use these tips to make make sure your family gets enough fruits and vegetables: keep a bowl of fruit handy, cut up produce ahead of time for a quick, healthy snack, and challenge your family to try a new fruit or veggie every week. Looking for fresh, locally grown produce in Pittsburgh? Check out the Live Well Allegheny website for resources on healthy eating!

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 ([email protected]) with details. And don’t forget to 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

Congratulations to the Borough of Millvale and the Borough of Etna, Live Well Allegheny Communities, on passing Complete Streets resolutions! By passing a resolution, the boroughs work to make the streets safe for everyone. Complete Streets policies formalize community plans and operations to make streets safe for users of all abilities and ages.

The Chronic Disease Prevention Program at ACHD is now offering Parents in the Know trainings. Parents in the Know is an innovative practice-based child sexual abuse prevention program that helps parents, guardians, caregivers, 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, age-appropriate sexual development, sexual abuse prevention and healthy sexuality.

If you are interested in holding a Parents in the Know training, please contact Leah Pope at [email protected].

Is your organization looking for ways to incorporate health into company policies and procedures? Live Well Allegheny has resources for you! Check out our website for information on Health in All Policies and Health Impact Assessments. These resources will help your organization consider health when implementing policies and procedures.

The Jefferson Regional Foundation and the Jefferson Community Collaborative are seeking hosts for the Around the Table South initiative. Around the Table South invites residents of the Jefferson Region—those communities in the South Hills and Mon Valley—to gather over mealtime conversations to build connections and explore how to work together to make communities stronger. The mealtime conversations will be held during the week of October 15-19. The foundation is seeking hosts to hold a meal. Hosts will need to find a location for 8-12 friends, family members, neighbors or colleagues to meet and discuss ways to make their communities stronger, connected, and more dynamic. Hosts can cook, purchase a meal, or ask guests to bring a dish and share potluck style. Upon registration, hosts will be provided a host kit and conversation guide.

Please visit: aroundthetablesouth.org to learn more and sign up to host a conversation.

Don’t miss the 2018 Pittsburgh Urban Farm Tour on September 8^th! Organized by the East End Food Co-op (EEFC), Pittsburgh Food Policy Council (PFPC), and Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), the Pittsburgh Urban Farm Tour highlights the agricultural production capacity in urban areas of Pittsburgh and surrounding neighborhoods. This self-guided tour provides a unique opportunity to connect with local food and farmers on commercial farms, community gardens, and apiaries throughout Pittsburgh. Featured neighborhoods include the East End, Garfield, South Side, and North Shore. Choose your own course and bike or drive to each destination.

Join All for All for the second annual All for All Summit on September 13^th! The summit is a day-long, interactive gathering to address the challenges and opportunities to effectively engage our region’s growing immigrant communities. This year’s summit will focus on the role of immigrants in entrepreneurship and the local economy, along with the intersection of immigrant inclusion with local politics, art, and more.

Learn more and register here: www.eventbrite.com.

Join the YMCA to celebrate Welcoming Week, September 14-23! Welcoming Week, founded by Welcoming America, is an annual, non-partisan event that brings together immigrants and U.S.-born residents to celebrate diversity and the community benefits of welcoming everyone. As part of the week, the YMCA is offering live guest speakers “Connecting Cultural Diversity,” cultural art events for kids, community resource fairs, Open House with tours of the YMCA on September 20^th, and much more.

For a full schedule of events, please visit: ymcapgh.org/welcomeweek.

Save the date for the American Heart Association’s 7^th annual Power of Laughter Health Workshop and Comedy Luncheon! The luncheon will be held September 15^th from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Westin Convention Center. The event features comedian Kim Coles and includes a silent auction, shopping, free health screenings, and an education workshop. Come for an afternoon of laughs, lunch, and lifesaving health information.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. To bring attention to this important topic, Steel Smiling is hosting their first annual Suicide Prevention Month Forum on September 22^nd. The forum will convene community members, leaders, and mental health professionals to share conversations about suicide prevention. A panel discussion will be led by Brian Burley, the author of YNGBLKPGH, and will feature trusted community voices. Mental and behavioral health providers will be on site to highlight information about their services. Registration is free, and food will be provided.

Join Allegheny County’s Homeless Outreach Coordinating Committee, BigBurgh.com, the Dream Center, and the Mon Valley Providers Council for the Mon Valley Community Summit on Homelessness. The summit will provide information on the homeless system in Allegheny County, unique barriers to service delivery, and how to better support those experiencing homelessness in the Mon Valley. The summit is being held on September 21^st from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Pizza will be provided.

Tobacco Free Allegheny is holding a quarterly coalition meeting in September. The meeting, Healthy Choices, Healthy Children: Smoke-free Moms, will cover effective tobacco cessation strategies and resources for pregnant women, women with children, and women of childbearing age. Join the conversation on September 20^th from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation (4905 Fifth Ave.).

Are you a young professional looking to make a difference? Sign up to volunteer for United Way’s Games for Good on October 9^th! United Way’s Games for Good in partnership with First National Bank is a very good time. It’s also for a great cause: helping local kids get-and-stay in better health. When kids are active and make healthier food choices, they’re more successful in school and in life. By playing games and having fun- alongside others who care as much as you do- you can have a serious impact on the life of local kids. Volunteers will lead children through activities, games and stations that promote fitness and fun. Sign up and join other young professionals to make a difference!

This November, Tobacco Free Allegheny is celebrating the 4^th annual Allegheny Quits for Life Smoking Cessation Awareness Week! Allegheny Quits for Life is a week-long series of events and communications designed to support residents’ efforts to quit smoking and using tobacco products. From November 11^th-17^th, Tobacco Free Allegheny, and their partners, will promote smoking cessation and a smoke-free Allegheny County. Allegheny Quits for Life partners are critical in conveying the message that a smoke-free Allegheny is a healthier Allegheny. There are a variety of ways to get involved in the celebration! Become an Allegheny Quits for Life partner, host or attend an event, or participate in the Great American Smokeout. For more information on how you can get involved, visit: http://www.tobaccofreeallegheny.org/AlleghenyQuitsforLife2018.asp.

Child Passenger Safety Week is September 23-29, and National Seat Check is September 29th. Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. Many times, deaths and injuries can be prevented by proper use of car seats, boosters, and seat belts. Car seats and boosters provide protection for infants and children in a crash. It’s important to choose and use the right car seat correctly every time your child is in the car. Follow these steps to choose the right car seat, install it correctly, and keep your child safe. Watch this video for more tips on car seat safety!

Looking for a local event? A Car Seat Check is being held on September 25^th from 1-4 p.m. at the Latino Family Center (5450 2nd Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15207). Walk-ins are welcome!

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. The month raises awareness of suicide prevention and seeks to reduce the stigma associated with suicide and other mental health conditions. This year, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s message, #BeThe1To, highlights actions we can all take to prevent suicide. Through the campaign, the organization is changing the conversation from suicide to suicide prevention, to actions that can promote healing, help, and give hope. For more information on the #BeThe1To campaign, please visit: suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Looking for information on the warning signs and risk of suicide? Visit: www.nami.org/Learn-More.

If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or call 911 immediately.

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 60 communities, 14 school districts, 167 community partners, 46 restaurants, and 24 workplaces united in our efforts!