Volume 1, Issue 13 | January/February 2022 |
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Our Monthly News & Updates |
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🎉Welcome to the World, Rashad! 🎉
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We are so happy to announce that Ruaa Hassaballa-Muhammad, COPE Regional Community Lead for the Northeast Region, and her husband, Dr. Farris Muhammad, recently welcomed Rashad Rahman Muhammad on December 23, 2022.
Rashad's name is auspicious. In the family's email announcement citing this source, " Rashad is a boy’s name of Arabic origin. This traditional Quranic name translates to “good judgment,” making it ideal for someone who wants to honor their religious roots. Rashad could also inspire babies to make sound judgments throughout their life outside of religion, guiding them on their own personal righteous path. This name saw a boom in popularity during the 1970s in the US and retains a great deal of that retro-cool style today. Simple and classic, Rashad will always be a standout.”
The announcement also shares Black communities' connection with the name Rashad. "Rashad first appeared on the American male naming charts in 1974 when Arabic names like Ahmed and Muhammad were likewise being adopted by African Americans during a period of Black Pride and a large-scale return to Islamic traditions. Many names of Arabic origin began to show up in the Black communities across the nation, and Rashad is another example of this trend. It’s also used among Arabic speakers, but the largest influence on this name’s popularity in the United States is largely owed to African-Americans. And who can blame them? These Arabic names have beautiful meanings like Muhammad (praiseworthy) and Ahmed (highly praised). Rashad of course means “good sense” and “good guidance” which are also powerful and lovely meanings."
Mommy and baby are both doing well and are at home enjoying getting to know each other. Want to send in your congratulatory notes? You can email Hassaballa-Muhammad here.
Courtesy photo: Ruaa Hassaballa-Muhammad
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February 22 marks the start of the Lunar New Year. 🧧 Celebrated by two billion people worldwide, Lunar New Year is a crucial holiday for Southeast and East Asian countries and for Chinese diaspora all over the world.
This year marks either the Year of the Rabbit (for those with Chinese cultural heritage) or the Year of the Cat (for Vietnamese). Pop-up stalls, like the one on the left, sell red envelopes, couplets and festive decorations. They can be seen all over local markets in Taiwan where Yvonnes Chen (Communications Team) was from and recently visited in January.
Happy Lunar New Year, everyone!
Photo credit: Adobe Stock Photo and Yvonnes Chen
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The Newton Kansan 🗞️
Covers Harvey County's Free Narcan Training
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A screenshot of The Newton Kansan's report on Harvey County's Narcan training
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Narcan Training Information
When? January 12 & February 9
Purposes:
- Teach to recognize an opioid overdose
- Train what to do in the event of an opioid overdose until first responders arrive
- Provide access to Narcan
Presenter:
Seth Dewey, Program Coordinator and Health Educator, of the Reno County Health Department
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Many of the COPE teams have successfully cultivated a positive working relationship with local news reporters to elevate many COPE initiatives. Recent news coverage by The Newton Kansan, a premier newspaper in Harvey County, is a triumph for Jay Hawes, Harvey County CHW Supervisor.
On January 5, The Newton Kansan covered COPE's upcoming, free Narcan training on January 12 and February 9. Hawes' interest in hosting the Narcan training stems from a Fentanyl Town Hall meeting he attended last November. He felt that the conversation should not be stopped there and that COPE has the resources to help carry on the conversation.
Those who participate in the Narcan training will receive a couple of nasal mist doses. This would give people resources "to be able to know what to do in the event of an opioid overdose," said Hawes in the article.
Getting the first coverage in The Newton Kansan is just a start. He said in an email that he plans to meet with the reporter to explain the roles of CHWs and the work of the LHEAT in Harvey County for a future article.
Source: The Newton Kansan website; Jay Hawes and Nadine Long
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Teaching Health through English Learning in Grant County |
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Making a positive difference in people's lives is what Community Health Workers, such as CHWs Lucy Watie, Jennifer Rodriguez and Ann Chavez in Genesis Family Health, care the most.
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On December 5, 2022, Grant County CHWs Rodriguez and Chavez shared services offered by Genesis Family Health and COPE to a group of Adult ELL (English Language Learner) students. Learning about health is as important as learning English. "Students were so engaged when Rodriguez and Chavez presented. They asked all the right questions," Watie said.
This partnership is not possible without the connection that Lucy Watie made with USD 214 and the support from Geovannie Gone, Chief Administration Officer at Genesis Family Health.
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On top of her busy life as a Community Health Worker supervisor, Watie also teaches Adult ELL (English Language Learner) classes to 15-20 students three nights a week.
"Teaching Adult ELL is all so new to me,” said Watie. "Although it’s not as easy as I was told it would be, I am absolutely loving every second of it. It’s been such a great experience and these students have won my heart."
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This partnership with USD 214 will enable Community Health Workers to provide preventative health services to these students. They plan to offer free glucose and blood pressure checks as well as flu and COVID-19 vaccines. They also plan to discuss topics, such as vaping, addiction, chronic illness and women and men’s health.
Courtesy photo: Lucy Watie
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CHWs, LHEATs and supervisors are out in the community every day. This photo album spotlights Sedgwick and Harvey County's recent community building efforts. |
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In a January 5 'Winter Soup Supper' event (photo on the left), Harvey County LHEAT partnered with Halstead Housing Authority (HHA) in Halstead, KS. HHA is a housing development that has 60 units for low-income and elderly residents. LHEAT provided paper goods, napkins, and cups for the residents. CHWs Jay Hawes, Chris Allen, and Curtis Allen were seen here in the photo. They helped set up the event, serve dinner, and clean up.
Food insecurity is one of the issues that LHEATs are tackling. Two photos on the right were taken by Jay Hawes (Harvey County CHW Supervisor), who participated in a community event with partners from the Harvey County Salvation Army and the Newton Ministerial Alliance to pack 204 bags for distribution toto low-income families before the holidays.
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On January 6-7, Thien Doan (CHW of Sedgwick County with a home base in GraceMed) brought COPE to the Lunar New Year Celebration at St Anthony Catholic Church. The event welcomed about 500 attendees. Doan spoke briefly on the stage about COPE project and talked privately with about 30 individuals about services offered by COPE.
Courtesy photo: Jay Hawes and Thien Doan
Jay Hawes and Thien Doan contributed reporting
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🤗 Friendship Lives On No Matter the Distance
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The friendship you built in COPE lasts forever. Harshdeep Acharya, former international scholar, is seen here re-connecting with Christina Pacheco in Pennsylvania over the holiday break. During Acharya's tenure, he was instrumental in various projects, including the development of CHW training, evaluation, databases and much more. Thanks to Pacheco for sharing this gathering photo! |
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Celebrate ❤️ Health with American Heart Month
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Celebrating American Heart Month in February. Let's take care of our heart health by reducing risk factors, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and excessive alcohol use.
Check out the curated resources on the right to help educate your community about heart health.
Sources: CDC, American Heart Association, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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Celebrate Black History Month |
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Black History Month will take place from February 1 to March 1 this year. In last January, we featured resources from KU Medical Center's Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Find relevant online panel discussions, ranging from education and repatriations this year, along with organizations that aim to advance Black health equity.
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Missed our prior issues? Want to share our work with community partners? Links to prior issues below.
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