Rural Health

Art of Life Festival, Shelton Community Center, November 10th

by Sara Huddleston, Mason Matters



 Kim Klint addressed an audience of over 75 community members.

If community spirit is an indicator of health, then Mason County is well-nourished! Last week in Shelton, Mason Matters hosted a community event to celebrate the great strides in county-wide high school graduation rates. Since the “Student Success Initiative” began in 2004, Mason County has increased its high school extended graduation rates from 60% to 92.6%! Over 75 members of the Mason County community, including school board members, students, parents, public health educators and nurses, school superintendents, Mason Matters board members, and church, Rotarian and Native American group leaders gathered to commemorate the impressive achievement.

Kim Klint, Executive Director of Mason Matters, spoke to the group and stressed that the increase is due to effective and creative partnerships between school and community. Klint recognized various members of the audience who contributed to the success of the Initiative, asking them to step forward if they had housed, clothed, fed, or generally supported students on their journey to graduation. Mason County’s state legislative representative, Kathy Haigh, was also on hand to deliver a quick speech honoring the work of the community and those involved with her efforts to secure the original “Readiness to Learn” grant, which led to the Student Success Initiative.

Klint emphasized the role of community support in creating graduation-minded youth. Klint addressed the students in the room with, “I hope that you see that you live in a community where adults have been, are and will continue to stand up and step forward. Know that we are here for you. We believe in you.”

Although the atmosphere was a happy one, complete with live music, hearty chili, and fire jugglers, the event also served to honor the work of youth advocate Fran Morgan. Morgan died unexpectedly in September, but has left a legacy of encouraging students to stay in school despite personal or circumstantial hardship. Klint noted that “Fran was the significant adult who stepped forward to support many of our community’s youth during hard times in their lives. She worked with youth moving through the Truancy County and Juvenile Detention systems. She was a strong, reliable adult who was there for those youth.”

As we all know, education is a major indicator of life-long health; the more educated a person is, the more likely they are to achieve a higher socio-economic status and with it, a healthier life. As the new data indicates, support for those students struggling to graduate is necessary and fortunately, available, in this rural county. Congratulations to Mason County for using its community to create a major pillar of health: high school graduation!

 

Volunteers prepared and served a healthy meal of cornbread, vegetarian chili and salad.

 

Cowlitz County Recognizes Healthy Lifestyles Champions

by Gayle Reid and Paul Youmans, Co-facilitators - Cowlitz On The Move

Early in 2011 Cowlitz County had the dubious honor of being ranked 39^th out of 39 Washington Counties for poor health behaviors. Tobacco use, rising diabetes rates, teen pregnancy, maternal smoking and other factors have led the community to be concerned about its health and well being. Residents of Cowlitz County live four years less than their neighbors across the state.

Often times the efforts of organizations and individuals go unrecognized for their contributions to increasing the health of the community. Since 2005, Cowlitz On The Move has taken time out to call attention to the work of individuals and organizations that improve the health of our community. 

Recognition of Healthy Lifestyles Champions has proven to be a boon to community awareness. While today the county ranks lowest for poor health behaviors, Cowlitz On The Move and its coalition members are committed to turning that number around.  We are fortunate to have Champions, both individual and organizations that are here in Cowlitz County to help drive that effort.

This year the Champions were recognized during the unveiling of the 2010 Cowlitz County Community Report Card before an audience of 215 local civic leaders and supporters at the Cowlitz County Expo Center in Longview.  A highlight of the evening as sponsored by Pathways 2020 was the opening remarks by Washington Health Foundation President Greg Vidor as he challenged all of us in the room and throughout the county to be working for improved access to healthy lifestyles as well as access to health care.

For 2011, eight Champions were named. Cowlitz Bikes, an active bicycle group fondly referred to as the “Spandex Mafia” has championed the Bike to Work Week for Longview and Kelso. Their efforts have resulted in children, parents, and others becoming more physically active.

In a time when nearly every page of the newspaper or on the TV station is devoted to bad news, the Valley Bugler in Cowlitz County has moved in the opposite direction. Each month the newspaper provides stories of increased healthy lifestyles, good news reports from the community, and motivational articles to lift the spirit of Cowlitz County residents. 

Special recognition was given to Lisa Grenia, whose  life story begins with periods of homelessness as a teen and living a lifestyle that caused her to gain more than 100 excess pounds before she was a young adult. Lisa recognized her challenges and overcame them by developing a new healthy lifestyle, and becoming a volunteer for the Girls On The Run activities through the YMCA. She shares her knowledge and experience with other parents at Head Start.

For several years, residents have been able to participate in fun runs and other running events sponsored by the Cowlitz Valley Runners, who were recognized as Champions for promoting physical activity and encouraging people to be part of a running opportunity.

Steve Plampin, Recreation Supervisor with the City of Longview Parks and Recreation Department, was recognized as coach of the Longview ACHIEVE Team working to reduce tobacco use and increase access to healthy foods and physical activity through policy and environmental change. 

The Backpack Buddies program is a grass-roots project started several years ago by two women in our community, Christi Maggs and Alisa Shipley. Backpack Buddies provide nourishing meals, which are sent home with students on Friday afternoons, who would otherwise have to make Friday school lunch their last meal until Monday’s subsidized breakfast. 

John Schapman, a representative of PeaceHealth’s LifeQuest Wellness Program, has volunteered weekly at Longview Parks and Recreation’s after school programs to provide nutrition education to elementary students.

Dr. Julie Reardon, a Family Medicine Practitioner  in Longview has provided several motivating and enlightening free presentations  titled “Live It Healthy” for the community, which  highlights the connection between what we eat and our health 

The motto of Cowlitz on The Move is to Eat Smart, Play Hard, and Breathe Free To learn more about Cowlitz On The Move please visit the web page at www.cowlitzonthemove.org or by contacting Gayle Reid with the Cowlitz County Health Department at reidg@co.cowlitz.wa.us or at 360-501-1237.

Healthy Food in Mason County

by Heather Pitre, WHF Events and Communications Specialist

One of our great AmeriCorps workers, Sara Huddleston, just made the news in Shelton. She's the new AmeriCorps worker in Mason County, doing great things with Mason Matters, a program that focuses on nutrition through community gardens and local food banks.

One of Huddleston's goals is to increase the amount of fresh produce that gets delivered to, and distributed by, local food banks. The Pioneer Food Bank in Shelton had its first fall distribution on October 20, 2011, and served 15 local families. Huddleston and food bank staff distributed recipes and slow cookers to help families use their food most effectively. "We also really want to let people know that food banks are not just a place to bring the things you have in the back of your cupboard, or 500 things of ramen," Huddleston stated in an article in the Shelton-Mason County Journal.

Huddleston also works with the Mason County Department of Public Health, and continues to develop the Mason Matters Health Literacy Program. Way to go Sara, and Mason County!