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Welcome to the Team, Karina, Molly, and Jessee!
A huge welcome to our interns Karina Cabrera, Molly Shea, and Jessee Santos. Karina, our Communications intern will help us improve our Get Healthy San Mateo County social media and website content. Learn more about Karina here. Molly, our Health Education intern will develop various health education materials related to COVID-19, Monkey Pox, and other health needs as they arise, as well as assist in the development of deliverables for the community collaboration process.
Voting For Our Health
Staff perspective by Mai Le
For many people, voting is not top of mind when they think of public health interventions. But there is a body of growing research to suggest that civic engagement, which includes voting, volunteering, and joining community groups, is associated with better mental and physical health. These are community-oriented activities that improve individual health. To me what this data says is that what we do together matters.
Vote for Your Health: New Resources
Get Healthy SMC has a new resource page on the connection between voting and health. We encourage community partners to share this information and use it to promote voting as a healthy habit. Download it here, and find additional information on voting in San Mateo County. If you would like physical copies to distribute, please contact Mai Le, mle@smcgov.org.
Getting Up to Date on Immunizations
On September 7th and 8th, San Mateo County Health hosted a Back-to-School vaccine clinic at the San Mateo County Medical Center. The clinic provided an opportunity for students who were behind on their immunization schedule to get caught up on vaccinations required at the start of the school year. This important event allowed students without a medical home the opportunity receive the required immunizations to enter school. This collaboration supports the State’s Safe Schools for All initiative by providing this in-demand service.
Cafeteria Promotion at Henry Ford Elementary School
Students at Henry Ford Elementary School in Redwood City enjoyed their lunch with an opportunity to sample fresh local watermelon. We had 187 students taste the watermelon and vote if they loved it, liked it, or not today. Most students loved it! The results of the cafeteria promotion help determine what healthy foods will be added to the lunch menu, giving students healthy options that they really enjoy.
Outreach Training Collaborative Launches
A collective of Get Healthy SMC grantees is working together to pilot a Community Health Outreach Professional (CHOP)/Promotoras Training program that will hold an orientation for new outreach workers on September 27. The collective is comprised of four (4) Get Healthy SMC grantees: Bay Area Community Health Advisory Council (BACHAC), Redwood City Together (RWCT), Healthways, and the City of South San Francisco. BACHAC and RWCT are conveners for the collaborative effort.
Second Contemplative Practices Session – Sign Up for the Next One!
Senior Coastsiders is hosting their second Contemplative Practices session on September 30. This second session will focus on Hatha Yoga where participants will learn about the origins and purpose of yoga, modern adaptations of yoga, how yoga has been shown to help in certain ailments, and go through a 45 min hatha yoga session.
Report Highlights Four Major Lessons of COVID-19 Pandemic
The Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) has just released their latest impact report, The Power of Public Health United: Catalyzing Health Equity which highlights partner stories, local initiatives, and lessons learned. You will find four major lessons on what it takes for an equitable, healthy, and just future during times of crisis:
Mini Grant Opportunity for COVID-19 Prevention Education
Neighborhood Partnership Program has made available awards of up to $5,00 to grassroots community organizations servings as trusted messengers in their community educate community members on safe practices for the prevention of COVID-19 and the importance of vaccinations. Sign up for an application workshop. September 27, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. is the next and final application workshop. Accepting applications through November 1 for projects to be completed by December 31. Learn more here: https://va58partnerships.com/#Apply
Successful Implementation of the Inaugural School Travel Fellowship
Last year San Mateo County Office of Education Safe Routes to School Program rolled out the inaugural School Travel Fellowship to support five (5) city-school partnerships. It is essential for cities to work with high-need schools to make the neighborhood safer for students to walk and bike to school. Many successful infrastructure projects and programs were implemented through these multi-sectoral partnerships.
Join our partners at the Climate Summit for San Mateo County!
Thrive Alliance is hosting the Climate Summit for San Mateo County on October 9th, in partnership with Climate Resilient Communities, Nuestra Casa, and Rise South City. This event is free to attend, with in-person and livestream options. Climate Resilient Communities and Nuestra Casa are two Get Healthy SMC grantees who work on healthy housing and climate readiness initiatives in East Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks.