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Dare to Be Healthy is a program that was
started January 2004 and is to continue through December 2005. The
objective of this program is to Develop Awareness and Responsibility
through Education on Women’s Health issues.
Arkansas Extension Homemakers
Physical Activity and Your Health
has been Arkansas’ focus as members walked a total of 55,321 miles. The
emphasis has been placed on the health benefits, of walking, on a
regular basis.
Illinois Association for Home and
Community Education
Illinois Association for Home
and Community Education initiated a “five a day” meal plan project.
Members kept a record of miles they walked for exercise. Some counties
collected various items for Veteran’s Homes and Hospitals and Women’s
Crisis and Pregnancy Care Centers.
Indiana Extension Homemakers Association
IEHA participation in the
NVON Project in Common, Dare to Be Healthy, has come in a variety of
forms. At the ten district meetings held in spring 2004, Indiana had
speakers addressing the topic of Diabetes. Early warning signs and
suggestions for avoiding diabetes were addressed.
Beginning May 1, 2004 and continuing
through April 30, 2005, IEHA held the
statewide Stepping It Up walking program. The goal was to encourage
members and non-members to become more active. Each person wore a
pedometer daily to track steps. Once a baseline was established, each
individual set goals to increase the number of steps based on his/her
personal circumstances. IEHA partnered with
America On the Move and the
Ismail Center for Health at Purdue University. The success
of the program varied from county to county. Early reports showed over
2000 participants, but the final reports had only 950 names reported. A
total of 672,725,477 steps were tracked. Many participants benefited
from the program, although several expressed frustration with the
pedometers from time to time.
Those who attended the Recognition
Banquet at their annual conferences were encouraged to be aware of
women’s health issues. In 2004, each received a red dress pin for
women’s heart health, and in 2005, each received a pink ribbon pin for
breast cancer awareness.
Kentucky Extension Homemakers
Association
Living in a state with high
rates of obesity, cancer, and meth use, Kentucky Extension Homemakers
are working to meet the challenge issued at our 2004 annual meeting, to
educate women and their families on how to live a healthier life. During
the past year homemakers across Kentucky had lessons, special interest
classes and projects to improve their health. A wealth of outreach
programs have been initiated through the UK Cooperative Extension
Service HEEL (Health Education Through Extension Leadership)
initiative.
Some of the
programs, lessons and projects that have been created are:
GET MOVING KENTUCKY, an 8 week physical activity program with health
lessons. About 45,000 Kentuckians participated in the program last year.
Ongoing programs around the state include Body Recall Exercise classes
and Walker Clubs.
WEIGHT CONTROL
CLASSES-THE REALITY SERIES, a ten week educational course designed to
help adults learn to control their weight. It emphasizes the connection
between behavioral risk factors, such as physical activity, weight and
diabetes. Lessons and ongoing programs as a result of this series are
“dinning with diabetes”, nutrition classes and the Backpack Nutrition
Program for elementary students.
LEAP FOR HEALTH
(Literacy, Eating & Activity for Preschoolers), a program consisting of
a series of 10 lessons using children’s storybooks to teach children
about staying healthy and eating more fruits and vegetables. Since the
beginning of the program about 12,000 children have been reached with
the program.
WALK YOUR LAND,
addresses substance abuse issues, particularly the production and use of
methamphetamine. Materials address data indicating illicit drug use,
abuse, production and sales, Also, training for identifying meth waste
and how landowners can dispose of it and restore the land. Other
programs going on across the state, ongoing and new, are blood drives,
health and wellness fairs (64 counties), the Red Dress Campaign and
several cancer issues. Kentucky homemakers in all 14
Areas are working on the Relay for Life, getting mammograms (6,634
reported last year), ovarian cancer screening (5,253) and various other
cancer screenings (4,797). Monthly newsletters, highlighting a health
topic, are sent to county Extension agents for use
in their county programming and local newsletters.
KEHA continues to
contribute to ovarian cancer research at the University of
Kentucky, with our dollars and participating in annual screenings.
Kentucky homemakers
continue to meet the challenge they received at the 2004 annual meeting
by producing healthier citizens from Paducah to Pikeville.
South
Carolina Family and Community Leaders
The goal of this 2 year state
project in common with NVON was to inform women about major health
issues. The following is a report of South Carolina FCL's involvement
with this program and the outcome of that involvement.
During 2004, 5,302 participants took
roles in local clubs by giving programs, setting up exhibits, sponsoring
health fairs and participating in walks. National and local programs
were adapted for state use. Participation in breast cancer awareness and
the Red Dress Day for women's heart health was commendable. Health
fairs, health displays at state and county fairs, and scavenger hunts
were all viable programs.
During 2005, 8,608 participants took
part in health programs. 25 exhibits, 22 health fairs, 18 walks, and 36
health programs were instituted. The File of Life Packet System, which
consists of vital personal medical information placed in a bright red
magnetic pocket and posted on the resident's refrigerator to be readily
accessible to EMS in case of an emergency, was implemented by SCFCL.
This program was a great success. Members not only utilized the file of
life packets, but purchased them for their family members and friends.
South Carolina FCL participation in this
worthwhile project came to a close at the end of the year 2005. Yet, the
programs instituted are still being used, the exercise and yoga classes
are still in progress, and healthy diet is still an issue. The File of
Life Packets are still on display, and the Red Dress Pin is still being
worn. Long after it has officially ended, this project still lives on in
South Carolina.
West Virginia Community Education
Outreach Services, Inc.
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Breast Cancer Awareness
is observed
each October with a total of $40,479 dollars reported as raised
in 2005 and 06. One county with one club donated $11,500 from
an annual walk they sponsored! This county is so successful
because the money all stays in their county to help pay for
screenings and treatments. One county taught a class at a high
school on Breast Cancer Awareness. Wreaths were hung in many
counties in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Comfort
pillows for mastectomy patients and "Reach for Recovery" bags
were made and donated to hospitals. Members participated in
Tell a Friend Project, which means you call a friend and remind
them to have a mammogram. Pink ribbons, flyers and mints were
distributed during Breast Cancer Awareness month. Quilts are
made by CEOS members and tickets sold to raise money for breast
cancer. This project is called Quilts of Hope. |
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Dining With
Diabetes is a program our
Extension Offices offer, but it could not be successful without our CEOS
membership that backs it. There were 28 counties reported as being
involved. We had 679 members helping with this program, 607 hours
reported volunteered, and $869 reported as contributed. (Data collected
for 2005 only.)
Active for Life
was supported by 18 counties, with 195 members involved for a total of
3,249 hours reported. (Data collected for 2005 only.)
Fat, the Good,
the Bad and the Ugly was a
lesson written by Extension for our club meetings and we had 27 counties
that reported studying it with 1,593 members reached and 56,400
nonmembers reached mainly via newspaper articles. (Data collected for
2005 only.)
Stress in
Turbulent Times another
lesson under DARE to be Healthy with 28 counties reported as studying
the lesson, with 1,427 members involved and 56,270 nonmembers reported
as reached.
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Our
State Exhibit for NVON Conference 2005 was Dare To Be
Healthy with plenty of handouts covering various health
subjects. Candy kisses were free for the taking with the
information of the health benefits of dark chocolate. |
Our State
Committees for 2005 had the theme of General Well Being.
We figured a lot of health issues could be included with this theme.
Healthy, Wealthy
& Wise was the theme
chosen for WVCEOS Annual Conference held at Jackson's Mill in
October 2005 where approximately 350 members attended. Blood pressures
were taken as people registered for conference. The following
sessions were offered that included health, with the number
that attended typed out from the session.
Hearth Truths for Women - 15
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Organ
Transplantation - 10
Diabetes Foot Care - 30
Managing Stress - 20
Humor: It Works - 50
(To help reduce stress, promote health and
enhance quality of life.)
Breast Cancer Awareness - 4
What's Up, Doc? -14
(Learn how to communicate effectively with your
doctor.)
Common Foot Problems - 22
Strong Women Stay Young - 20
(Benefits of activity and strength training
information.)
A "Weigh" to a Healthier West Virginia -7
Changing Your Eating Patterns -8
Healthy, Hearty Party Foods -18
Cooking with Artificial Sweeteners -16
Herbs and Your Healthy Lifestyle -11
The Capnote Speaker
addressed "Menopause: The Mid-life Metamorphosis"
Heart Disease
Awareness Activities Throughout the State
The counties reported the
following:
lessons on nutrition and exercise, active for life programs, wore red in
February, walking, exercising, joining fitness clubs, participated in
county health fairs and heart festivals, and handed out heart awareness
papers. One county had a fish fry and donated money to Heart Awareness
Disease; another sold Red Dress pins and made $100 for the cause. Some
participated in low carb diets, healthful meals and refreshments,
programs on heart health and gave out red dress pins. Blood pressure
information was distributed, members walked 3 miles 3 times a week. Some
wore red ribbons while one county donated $35.00 to the heart telethon.
Others attended Mended Hearts, set up a display at family life expo,
health walk-walked 100 miles in 100 days. Some counties did the Go Red
for Women program, Hoops for Heart program, newspaper articles, and CEOS
displays at fairs.
Osteoporosis
Awareness Throughout the State
Counties offered the
following:
Exercise programs, speakers, lessons, drink milk, take calcium, bone
density tests, handed out flyers, encouraged testing, and members were
screened at area meeting for bone density. Lots of clubs had the lesson
on Better Back Health, and did promotion of "3 a Day" of dairy council
information.
No. of hours reported donated: 1,712
Dollar amounts reported submitted: $1,846.
Nonmembers reported reached: 4,722
Cancer Awareness
Throughout the State
Relay for Life raising
$140,000, did family health histories, "Miles of Pennies" account to
support Relay for Life, bulletin inserts and flyers handed out at Post
Offices, made cancer comfort caps, ditty bags, pillows, and reservoir
bags.
Number reported reached: 4,562
Number of reported items: 700
Money reported: $142,073
Six Counties
reported helping with bloodmobiles for at total of 352 hours.
Wisconsin Association for Home Community
Education, Inc.
Wisconsin Association for
Home Community Education continues to place a focus on family health.
The State Young Family Chair shared with
their counties information she learned from the Children and Weight
Coalition: “Children and Weight: Choices and Challenges for Today’s
Parents” on topics of childhood diabetes, healthy eating for healthy
bodies, and exercise, with a focus on developing ideas that communities
can use to develop healthier children. Ideas being implemented include
developing a map of the walking trails in a county, and establishing a
“Walk to School Day”.
The State Membership Chair is promoting
a contest for gaining new members urging members to invite nonmembers in
the “Walk About WI” program.
Wisconsin’s annual full daylong
Leadership Institute held at their state conference focused on Healthy
Lifestyles which included Laughaerobics and a pedometer to each
participant.
Wisconsin is urging their members to get
out and walk this summer. They are also featuring 3 workshops at their
Conference, Awareness of the Eye, Managing your headaches, Teenage Brain
development and Cooking for one or two. |
