Feb 8 - Childhood Obesity Event in NRV

Come visit an exciting Childhood Obesity kickoff event for the

Virginia Interfaith Center

Tuesday, February 8th

from 5:30-7p.m.

at the

Blacksburg Church of Christ (315 Eakin Street, B'burg)

Join parents, faith leaders, educators and other community members as they discuss ways to promote 5-2-1-0 for kids and other ways to make a diference in your faith community.

To register for the event, click here:

www.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Invitation.aspx?e=2705cd2a-d15d-422a-a1c5-fb62149c37d4

Mini Grants Available!

So we know that 1 in 3 American school children is overweight or obese. And we know that most kids are not active enough and are consuming too many high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods as well as sugar-sweetened beverages.

According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelinies for Americans "Primary prevention of obesity must begin in childhood. This is the single most powerful public health approach to combating and reversing America's obesity epidemic over the long term."

So where can your community begin to tackle this problem?

Well think about this...what if our schools' vending machines looked like this?

Instead of this?

Prevention Connections has two great opportunities for Virginia schools!

Take a look at the website www.preventionconnections.org/funding.shtml for Vending Machine Audit/Replacment and Safe Routes to School mini grants. The application deadlines are quickly approaching in December but the projects themselves can be conducted any time before November 2011. Call or email me with any questions!

VFHY Local Celebrities

Kudos to two VFHY Grantees

American Lung Association

and

YMCA at Virginia Tech (Waldron Family YMCA in Shawsville)

On October 29th, Billie Murray of the American Lung Association hosted a legislative visit from Delegate Joe Johnson. Delegate Johnson visited Highlands Juvenile Detention Center in Bristol to see the Not On Tobacco (N.O.T.) program in action. Eight youth were enrolled in the teen cessation program and Delegate Johnson had very positive things to say about the work that we are all collectively doing to make kids healthier. Pictured here: Yours truly, Billie Murray, and Delegate Johnson with HJDC staff - Patti Mumpower, Yolanda Stuart and Tim Dotson.





And earlier this week, one of our new Healthy Communities Action Team grantees, YMCA at Virginia Tech was featured in a WDBJ 7 News story about their N.E.W Family program - which stands for Nutrition, Exercise and Wellness. (WOW - that's gotta be a record for number of times the word NEW can be used in one sentence...)


Anyway, the story is fabulous so click here to see it:

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj-new-program-in-shawsville-to-c-103110,0,5587900.story



Remember, sharing our success with our elected officials and broader communites is a WIN-WIN-WIN for us all! And don't forget to cite VFHY as the funding source when talking with your legislators and the media. If you need any assistance with press releases or meetings with State Delegates or State Senators, be sure to contact me and/or Richard Foster in our Richmond office.

I look forward to posting more examples like this in the future!

Mr. Gross Mouth, Mr. Foul Mouth, Mr. Dip Lip

Just in time for Halloween...No these aren't new character costumes for trick-or-treating! They are just a few of the fabulous tobacco prevention resources I have in my office available for loan. In fact, I just sent these three fellows out together last week to a grantee who couldn't wait to share them with her TND participants! I have videos, games, displays, models, even a set of inflatable PIG LUNGS that can be checked out anytime.

Visit our website here (www.healthyyouthva.org/vtsf/grantes/forms.asp) to view the List of Supplemental Tobacco Control Materials Available for Loan and then send in a completed Loaner Agreement form to me and we'll get you what you need. I also have some fun buttons and "You can quit smoking" bookmarks for anyone who can use them.

The scary reality is that 9,300 Virginia kids under age 18 become new smokers every year. Wouldn't it be a treat for all of us if we could make that number disappear?

VDH Training Opportunity

Visit http://www.cleartheairva.org/ to get details on this upcoming training opportunity for those in tobacco use control or community wellness. The training will be held Thursday, November 4 in Richmond.

Topics to be presented include:

Community and workplace strategies for reducing tobacco use and exposure

Smoke-free parks and play areas that promote physical activity

Initiatives that provide access to good nutrition and provide food security for communities

Safe places to walk and bike

Programs to promote cessation programs and 1-800-QUITNOW

Safe Routes to School Grants

The Prevention Connections Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is accepting applications for $2,000 mini-grants to sponsor a Walk and Bike to School event.

The goals of the mini-grant program are to (1) increase awareness of the benefits of safe walking/biking to school, (2) increase the number of youth engaging in physical activity through walking/biking to school and (3) provide schools with resources on SRTS best practices and additional funding opportunities.

These mini-grants specifically target low-income areas. Studies show that these children face a higher risk of being injured or killed as pedestrians. The mini-grant program is intended to be a catalyst for these communities to begin to examine ways to make the environment safer and more accessible for children to walk and bike to school, as well as to connect these groups with larger funding opportunities.

The application is available online at www.preventionconnections.org. In order to apply, the targeted schools must be Title I elementary and/or middle schools in Virginia. A variety of groups are encouraged to apply including PTAs, local governments, community agencies and nonprofits, etc.

Deadline for applications is Thursday, December 30, 2010, 11:59 p.m. For any additional information, contact Ashley Johnson, SRTS Program Manager at (804) 225-3004 or ajohnson@preventionconnections.org.

And That's What It's All About

Check out these shiny, happy faces from two of our Southwest grantees!

Pictured top above are some preschoolers ready to LUAU in Galax. Thanks to

Rooftop of VA CAP for sharing this photo of their Head Start kids

as they celebrated the end of their Al's Pals program.

Below that group, you'll see some students from St. John Neumann Academy in Blacksburg. They're staying cool during their end of year field day

following the completion of their Positive Action program.

What a fanatastic reminder that the work we do is building stronger,

healthier kids across our region!

Kudos to us all for a great 09-10 grant year!

*and you thought I was going to say the HOKIE POKIE didn't you? ;)