A Houston/Harris County Childhood Obesity Prevention Collaborative 
July  2017 / Issue No. 56     


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Pasadena Draws National Attention From GE
  
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Pasadena joins teams from across the country, designated as GE HealthyCities, that are implementing innovative plans to improve health.  Each city was given an initial cash prize of $25,000 to support their work.  GE was in Pasadena on July 19 and 20 to see first-hand how their support is benefiting Pasadena residents.
   
From left to right. Abbhi Rajagopal,  Alan Jackson,  Aimee Schultz,  Rosalind Bello,  Jennifer Hadayia,  City of Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner.  Michelle Zamperetti,  Marcita Galindez,  Katie Chennisi, Miranda Simmons,  Albert Cheng, and  Teresa Vazquez-Evans.

The Pasadena initiative, Improving Health through a Sustainable Food System, is designed to accelerate efforts toward healthy nutrition through three main components:
  • Providing a local source of fresh produce in north Pasadena by opening the area's first urban farm,
  • Expanding a local network of healthy food access points such as healthy corner stores, healthy dining, and Brighter Bites (free food co-ops at local elementary schools), and
  • Launching new programs like food scholarships and food prescriptions that help residents access food and make healthy choices.
During the site-visit, newly elected City of Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner commented, " The City and its community partners have put so much energy and passion into this important effort and together we are committed to expanding healthy food options and improving the overall health of our residents. Plans are underway to make Pasadena home to the area's first indoor, urban farm, and we will work with all of our partners to make sure this happens." 

Efforts like the these support HLM Policy Priority E4, which encourages the use of available public lands for food production. For more information, contact Jennifer Hadayia at  jhadayia@hcphes.org
Houston BCycle Rides to New HeightsArticle2 
  
2017 has been the busiest year yet for Houston BCycle ! With the expansion of Houston's bike share program well under way, 13 new BCycle stations have already been installed since January. A few of the station locations include Lost Lake, Main & Wichita, Woodland Park, and Moody Park, a location within our priority community, Near Northside. Each new station comes stocked with new bikes, making the current count 350 bikes at 46 stations across Houston. 
 
Council Member Karla Cisneros, Executive Director of Houston BCycle Carter Stern, and Deputy Director of Facilities Management and Development for the Houston Parks and Recreation Department Micheal Isermann, unveiling the new Moody Park BCycle Station.  
 
Other highly anticipated upcoming stations include the Texas Medical Center, Rice University Campus, University of Houston Campus, Texas Southern University Campus, HCC Central Campus, and Hermann Park's McGovern Centennial Gardens. Each station will play an integral role in encouraging  more families and individuals to be active and spend more time outdoors.

For more information, visit Houston BCycle or email Christin Dietze at cdietze@houstonbikeshare.org.
Local Health Center Brings Patients Closer to Nature Article3 
Lone Star Family Health Center (LSFHC), located in Conroe, TX, is a full-service Federally-Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides high-quality, affordable primary and preventive care to low income patients.

In 2016, LSFHC built a Nature Explorer Classroom. Their Medical Director, Dr. Daniel Porter, seeing the health of his patients decline, had been working for years with the Texas A&M Forest Service advocating for more people to get outdoors and into nature. He pursued the partnerships with The Arbor Day Foundation, Texas A&M Forest Service, and others to get the classroom built. 
 
  Photo from Lone Star Family Health Center in Conroe, Texas .  

For LSFHC, it's about patient health. According to Ashley Hamlin, Communications and Outreach Manager, "Fostering good health in a community requires more than simply treating patients in a clinic setting. It requires encouraging families to live a healthier lifestyle overall. We feel strongly that our patients need to be encouraged to change their lifestyles, engaging more in physical activity. We hope that the Nature Explorer Classroom will serve as a first step to getting families outside." To learn more, contact Ashley Hamlin at AHamlin@lonestarfamily.org.

Efforts like the Nature Explorer Classroom and OLE! Texas support HLM Policy Priority L4, which includes to "promote outdoor classrooms and incorporate active learning". 
Featured Resource: 5210 Let's Go Health Care Toolkit Resource  

Let's Go!  is a nationally recognized childhood obesity prevention program implemented throughout Maine and in a few communities in neighboring states. The organization  partners with schools, child care and out-of-school programs, healthcare practices, and community organizations to change environments where children and families live, learn, work, and play. 
   
 
Let's Go!  is happy to provide an easy to navigate toolkit that includes strategies on how to engage, how to speak to families, and how to assess the office environment. To access the toolkit, click here.   For more information, visit 5210 Let's Go.
UPCOMING EVENTS UpcomingEvents


CAN DO Houston Partnership Meeting 
Tuesday, August 1, 2017 from 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
United Way of Greater Houston, 50 Waugh Dr, Houston, TX 77007
Please RSVP to Dr. Jasmine Opusunju at jasmine@candohouston.org  

2017 Greater Houston
Environmental Summit & Environmental Education Expo
Friday, August 4, 2017 from 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM 
United Way of Greater Houston, 50 Waugh Dr, Houston, TX 77007

Breastfeeding: Strength Through Support
Friday, August 4, 2017 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Shaver WIC Center, 152 Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena, Texas 77504
Cypress Station WIC Center, 221 FM 1960 West, Suite A, Houston, TX 77090
For more information, contact Mark Solano at  msolano@hcphes.org 
 
Healthy Living Matters (HLM) - Pasadena Monthly Meeting 
Thursday, August 17, 2017 from 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Pasadena Public Library, 1201 Jeff Ginn Dr, Pasadena, TX 77506
For more information, contact Katie Chennisi at  cchennisi@hcphes.org

Webinar: Getting Kids to 60: Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program
Tuesday, August 22, 2017 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Register here 
 
Healthy Living Matters (HLM) Quarterly Collaborative Meeting 
Friday, August 25, 2017 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM 
Moody Community Center, 3725 Fulton St, Houston, TX 77009 
For more information, contact Mark Solano at  msolano@hcphes.org

Raising of America Community Screening
Saturday, August 26, 2017 from 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM 
Harris County Department of Education - Conference Room, Fifth Floor
6300 Irvington Blvd, Houston, TX 77002
Register here or for more information, contact Katie Chennisi at cchennisi@hcphes.org  


To view more events, visit our Calendar of Events webpage