Monthly news & updates
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February 4, 2020 | Issue 2
[MOVEMENT]
[ CONNECT ]
[ MINDSET ]
Resolution Run- Habitat for Humanity
January 1- February 29, 2020 month .
Ready to find your place in Community Strong? Check out these Volunteer Opportunities
What if we create a culture of health and well-being in our workplaces?
St. Charles County has a very low unemployment rate which means the majority of us spend most of our time working. Our Workplace Wellness Summit explores best practices from local employers about how they address workplace wellness. We are currently looking for volunteers to join our Workplace Wellness Summit Planning Committee. A time commitment involves about 2 hours a month between now and April when the event will beheld. . In particular if you have a talent for written and verbal communication, public relations, or marketing we would love to talk more with you about these volunteer opportunities. Contact Carissa Figgins, Executive Director to learn more about these opportunities to serve St. Charles County or head to our website to find out more.

How reading on a beach improves health and wellness other things you should know about your neighbor
Barb Griffeth
Community Strong loves connecting neighbors with neighbors. Read on to find out more about your neighbor
 Barb Griffeth and how she is one step closer to a healthier version of herself!

Community Strong- Workplace Wellness (CSWW) Action Team Update
A first draft of a the workplace wellness application has been drafted. This application is the framework for which satisfied criteria will earn local businesses the workplace wellness certification. The current version is largely synthesis between the MOCAN and Kansas City Chamber of Commerce wellness applications. The appropriation of the MOCAN/KCC wellness programs was decided earlier in 2019 due to the reputability of the MOCAN and KC Chamber programs as aligning with research/evidence on the subjects, and their certifications’ acknowledgements from institutions like DHHS. The CSWW action team is now in the process of reviewing and revising each criteria so that it maintains ‘realistic but impactful’ policy suggestions and is tailored for the St. Charles community. Shortly after the main components of the application are decided, we can begin a rapid and comprehensive input of the free/inexpensive community provisions (tools, information on healthy living, counseling, education, trainings etc.) that will help employers meet the application criteria with little effort other than broadcasting these resources to their employees.
For more information on our Action Teams goals and objectives contact Project Coordinator- Thomas Redd

inspiring a culture of health and wellbeing
 in St. Charles County
Partnering for Purpose & Passion
Over the last quarter of 2019, the CRUSH coalition has been very active in the community. Click here to learn more about the Teen Drug Summit, Middle School Meme Competition, and how this coalition is leveraging joint resources to facilitate several initiatives. Click here to read more about the goals and initiatives of CRUSH.
Medical Marijuana is now legal in the state of Missouri
Medical Marijuana is now legal in the state of Missouri. Dispensaries are expected to open in mid-2020. But currently, patients with medical marijuana cards issued by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services may consume or possess marijuana, and they may grow it if they have a cultivation authorization from the department. There's no legal way to buy or sell marijuana in Missouri before those licensed dispensaries open.
How to qualify for medical marijuana
How much will a medical card cost? 
  • Qualifying patient fee is $25 annually
  • Caregiver fee is $25 annually 
  • Authorization to home-grow costs $100
Qualifying medical conditions include:
  • Cancer
  • Epilepsy
  • Glaucoma
  • Intractable migraines unresponsive to other treatment
  • A chronic medical condition that causes severe, persistent pain or persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those associated with multiple sclerosis, seizures, Parkinson’s disease, and Tourette’s syndrome
  • Debilitating psychiatric disorders, including, but not limited to, post-traumatic stress disorder, if diagnosed by a state licensed psychiatrist
  • HIV or AIDS
  • and more
Where to apply:
Applications are only online, and you must go to the patient/caregiver registration website,  medicalmarijuana.mo.gov.  More information on Missouri's medical marijuana program can be found at this same site.
Image by Gordon Johnson
Mikey Moments- Try It You Might Like It










Are we talking ourselves out of a healthy lifestyle?
We can all admit it. More than likely we have all dropped those dang resolutions by now. But 2020 was suppose to be our year! Don't despair! It still can. We just may need to change our vision of ourselves and what motivates us to take better care of ourselves.
The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of exercise and movement a week. That's about 20 minutes a day. Not many of us are getting even that minimum amount. We all have our reasons but could it be demoralizing internal dialogue that is killing our exercise mojo?
Jump to our blog to check out 6 science based secrets to staying motivated to your goals of movement in 2020.
Photo by Gerd Altmann
Keep trying!
One of the healthiest things we can do is keep trying and keep a mindset of experimentation. You may hear the word "kale" and think "NO WAY!" But give recipes like this Mediterranean Kale Sald these a try and keep trying when you are trying to eat a little more healthy. What are some other recipes you have experimented with in 2020?
Photo by Jill Wellington