 Lockbox giveaway at Hesperia wrestling match
Headway and Arbor Circle will be at the Hesperia Varsity Quad meet on Wednesday, February 2 to hand out free lockboxes to Newaygo County residents that have a youth in the home. The goal is to lock up prescription drugs and medical marijuana to keep it out of the reach of our youth. To receive a free lockbox you must be a resident of Newaygo County or have children attending school in Newaygo County And… Have a minor child or a person at risk of medication misuse living in the home or visiting regularly And… Have medication in the home with the potential for abuse including over the counter or medical marijuana. For more information on Headway please visit their website: https://headwaynewaygo.org/
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School’s youth prevention coalition thriving
The Headway Coalition is a group of stakeholders from the community with the common goal of addressing substance abuse and mental health issues with a focus on youth prevention activities. Headway helped create the Hesperia AUP (Awareness/Understanding/Prevention) Youth Prevention Coalition and they did not miss a beat starting off the school year picking up where they left off. They have been meeting weekly to plan out projects for the year ahead. In November, the group planned a lunch meet and greet in hopes to educate the student body on their presence on the school. AUP had special t shirts made to represent the group. Custom rubber bracelets were made to hand out to all High School and Middle School students on their lunch hour (along with a sucker). Music was played and students mingled with staff and each other on what AUP Youth Coalition is here for. The feedback was amazing! The assumption was that AUP Coalition was a vaping group since they did the Daniel Ament simulated bedroom project last spring. We explained that the goal of our Youth Leadership Coalitions in the school is to provide peer to peer education and support on Substance Abuse related issues within our district. During the event we had 3 new students sign up to join! Returning from the holiday break, the AUP hit the ground running with preparing for the community wide Marijuana Campaign. Signage was created and the AUP made personal posters on all substances to bring awareness to their peers. QR codes were added to all signage for anyone to scan and take them directly to the Headway Coalition page for resources. The group also came up with an interactive “selfie” door. “Don’t Get Caught in the Web of Drugs” #takeselfiesnotdrugsaup We asked some of the AUP group members why they chose to participate. Mia M. This project meant a lot to me, I feel it will really show our peers how much this kind of stuff (vaping) can affect them and their lives. I feel even the younger kids notice how much nasty things vaping can do to your body. I think that they really understood how much damage they were causing. This needs to be shared so everyone can see that vaping, even a little bit can hurt you greatly. We need to really emphasize to all students what is happening to their peers and themselves. As a student I would hate to see any of these things that happen to Daniel happen to any of my friends. I cannot imagine what Daniel is going through either. This project really helped show the students what they are ding and that they need to stop. Jenna B. The Headway group has taught me so much about the complexity of vaping. Such as the illness it causes, the chemicals in them, and the way vapes work. All of the members have learned about the common misconceptions related to vaping such as vape juice being “just water vapor” or vaping being “good for you/better than cigarettes”. Vaping is just as bad or worse than tobacco. Chris V. I feel like with my experiences in the group we have brought awareness and realization to problems with substance abuse. Maci K. -Hoping to change the % of teens that vape -Reducing the age of people who vape -Teaching teens how drugs can affect them This group means a lot to me because I know people who have struggled with substance abuse and it helps to know that we can help them stop. Alivia T. This group has taught me about the dangers of vaping. It has brought me closer to friends in the group. It also brought more awareness to the risks in general. Emerald E. This group has not taught me much I didn’t already know. Growing up my parents always worked hard to make sure I had common knowledge of substances. Not everyone has that common knowledge or support at home, so I am glad I am able to educate other kids so maybe they don’t hurt themselves without knowing it. Mady D. The project that we did really showed how much vaping can impact your life and how can change your life. I feel like watching students walk through the room and watching their faces showed how much they did not know what vaping could do to them. A lot of students believe that vaping is healthier than smoking, so they do it. Keagan T. I wish I would have joined this group earlier. I know a lot of people with problems in drugs and I want to know how to help them or help them get help. I think this project is doing an amazing job against the war on drugs. The walk through was very creative and I think it helped people see the damage smoking/vaping has on their lungs. For more information on Headway please visit their website: https://headwaynewaygo.org/  Considering Michigan’s cold winter temperatures, District Health Department #10 (DHD#10) is issuing guidance on how to ensure the COVID-19 tests received from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the United States Postal Service (USPS) work properly. At-home test kits are being delivered to residences, those shipping to Michigan most likely have been in frigid temperatures, either while in transit or after being delivered to mailboxes. Many are asking if this could impact the effectiveness of the test. According to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), the performance of the at-home COVID-19 tests should not be impacted, provided they are prepared correctly. Proper test performance assumes the test is being performed in an environment that is between 59-86⁰F (15-30⁰C). To ensure appropriate test performance with a test that is delivered to you in below freezing temperatures, you should:
Every home address is eligible to order 4 free, at-home COVID-19 tests. HHS says that orders should ship between 7-12 days after ordering, beginning in late January. Ordering is easy and convenient online at: https://www.covidtests.gov/. You can also learn more about additional resources, insurance reimbursement for at-home kits, and the CDC’s quarantine and isolations guidelines from the link above. DHD#10 asks that positive at-home tests be reported here: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6055601/3a61f0729898. It is important to note that DHD#10 does not offer COVID-19 testing, nor do they carry testing supplies at their offices. However, most area pharmacies perform COVID-19 testing and sell at-home testing kits. For more information on COVID-19, visit www.dhd10.org/coronavirus.  Spectrum Health invites new moms to early child nutrition classes
FREMONT, Mich., Jan. 26, 2022 – Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial is hosting a series of free classes to empower new moms, moms-to-be, dads and caregivers with information to ensure newborns and babies get the right nutrition for health and wellness. Designed for parents with children at different stages and ages, Gerber Memorial’s Early Childhood Nutrition classes are:
Led by registered dietitians and community health educators, both classes will be from noon to 2 p.m. The classes are virtual. Instructions will be provided after registering to connect via mobile device or computer. To register, call 231.924.6776. Those who join will also receive a free gift. Participants will learn about nutrition during pregnancy, nutrition for nursing moms, important nutrients for babies, and breastfeeding and bottle feeding. The classes will also provide information for transitioning to solid foods, food safety and bottle weaning, as well as avoiding picky eating pitfalls. About Spectrum Health Spectrum Health System, a not-for-profit, integrated health system, is committed to improving the health and wellness of our communities. We live our mission every day with 31,000 compassionate professionals, 4,500 medical staff experts, 3,300 committed volunteers and a health plan serving 1 million members. Our talented physicians and caregivers are privileged to offer a full continuum of care and wellness services to our communities through 14 hospitals, including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, 155 ambulatory sites and telehealth offerings. We pursue health care solutions for today and tomorrow that diversify our offerings. Locally-governed and based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, our health system provided $585 million in community benefit in fiscal year 2019. Thanks to the generosity of our communities, we received $30 million in philanthropy in the most recent fiscal year to support research, academics, innovation and clinical care. Spectrum Health has been recognized as one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems by Truven Health Analytics®, part of IBM Watson HealthTM. ###  While trickling up bit by bit Newaygo County at 54.1% remains 9th of the 10 DHD#10 counties in vaccinations trailing only Mecosta (49.6%)for lowest participation rate. Mason County has the highest at 71.6%. The average of all 10 counties is 62.6%. Here is the weekly report from Jordan Powell, MPH, Epidemiologist, District Health Department #10: Our jurisdiction’s daily cases per million and percent positivity have both increased since the last update. There was an increase in cases (+43.4%) when comparing the most recent 7 days (1/19-1/25) to the 7 days previous (1/12-1/18). There was a decrease in deaths (-66.7%) when comparing deaths that occurred in the most recent 7 days to the 7 days previous. As of today, all of our counties remain in the high transmission level categories. There are currently 19 confirmed Omicron variants – 1 in Kalkaska, 1 in Manistee, 7 in Mecosta, 6 in Newaygo, 3 in Oceana, and 1 in Wexford as well as 868 confirmed Delta variants in our jurisdiction. As of today, there are 12 COVID-19 inpatients in Munson Cadillac, 7 in Munson Grayling, 6 in Munson Manistee, 8 at Spectrum Health Big Rapids, 11 at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial, and 6 at Spectrum Health Ludington. Attached are graphics from the Munson and Spectrum System websites highlighting vaccination status of hospitalized patients both as of 1/25/22.    Community Supported Agriculture Survey Locavores Take Heed Maybe you’ve heard of community supported agriculture. Perhaps you have even been involved in one before. What is it? It’s a way to access fresh local foods on a weekly basis. A box of seasonal veggies arriving to help with that commitment to eating healthier some of us make from time to time. Our friends at Kaufman’s Farm Market are looking to expand their CSA clientele this year. If you have been to the Newaygo or Muskegon Farm Markets you have likely purchased their goods or visited the sumptuous stand at their farm on Luce where a cornucopia of items entices customers. The program involves purchasing shares from the Kaufmans who use the resources to buy the seeds necessary to supply the ‘members’ with their weekly goods. An investment made this time of year makes market shopping easy. From the first week of June right up to mid October the CSA can mean good eating coming to your table either delivered for $550 for the 18 week program or $450 if you pick it up yourself. That amounts to 25 or 30 bucks a week depending on delivery or pickup. We’ve put together a survey to help the Kaufmans gauge interest in the program. There is no obligation, we simply want to see if there is interest.  “Love is not a maybe thing, you know when you love someone.”- Lauren Conrad We haven’t seen many marriage license applications coming through the NC Clerk’s office lately. Of course we’ve just come off the holiday season so maybe that has something to do with it. Plus being winter and all it’s cold and sometimes it snows. Sometimes a lot. Our weekly stop at the county office to say hi to Flora and ask for the list has produced few names over the past month or more. Admittedly It piqued our curiosity about wedding timing. We discovered September, June and then October are the top three. Understood. July is hot everywhere and August is much the same. April and May can be unpredictable as can November. The three months with the fewest however? You got it. January, February and March. Ah, but perhaps our recent nuptial seekers are planning on a trip to warmer climes for a honeymoon? Or maybe they revel in our bipeninsular winters and have decided to make the frigid season their annual celebration time. Or maybe it was merely decided that they no longer wanted to go through life not married to the most important person in their lives regardless of what page the calendar was on. Yeah, I like that one. Here are the couples most recently signing on for an exciting and, hopefully, long-term adventure. Gregory Thomas Schmidt, Newaygo & Hannah Renee Drouin, Howard City Alec Wroblewski, Bitely & Emily Daniels, Farmington, MI Rebecca Dobson, Fremont & Kevin Frees, Fremont Jennifer K. Thomas, Hesperia & Efren Silva, Hesperia  Here is the latest report from our friends at DHD#10 As of today, all of our counties remain in the high transmission level categories. There are currently confirmed Omicron variants in Kalkaska County (1), Manistee County (1), Newaygo County (4), Oceana County (1), and Wexford County (1). There are also 859 confirmed Delta variants in our jurisdiction. As of yesterday, there were 6 COVID-19 inpatients in Munson Cadillac, 7 in Munson Grayling, 5 in Munson Manistee, 10 at Spectrum Health Big Rapids, 11 at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial, and 6 at Spectrum Health Ludington. Attached are graphics from the Spectrum System websites highlighting vaccination status of hospitalized patients both as of 1/18/22. Jordan Powell, MPH Epidemiologist, District Health Department #10:   Gerber Federal Credit Union Now Accepting Essays for $2,750 in Cash Scholarships FREMONT, Mich. (1/13/22) Gerber Federal Credit Union (Gerber FCU) is pleased to support its young members by awarding scholarships to 3 high school seniors this March: First Place - $1,750 and publication of essay submission at www.gerberfcu.com, Second Place - $750, Third Place - $250. To be eligible, applicants must be Gerber FCU members and current high school seniors planning to attend an accredited technical school, community college, trade school, four-year accredited college or university or an apprentice program. 300-500 word essays on the topic “What financial goals do you think are attainable for today’s youth and how would you advise them to reach those goals?” must be submitted by email, mail or in-person no later than February 18, 2022 at 5pm ET. For more information about the Gerber FCU scholarships, please visit www.gerberfcu.com/scholarships.   Spectrum Health’s free virtual seminar features experts on addressing vaping and teens
Fremont, Mich., Jan. 12, 2022 – Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial is offering a free virtual seminar featuring experts on vaping from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Spectrum Health’s tobacco and nicotine treatment program. The seminar is on Thursday, Feb. 10, from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Anyone can join on the virtual platform from a smartphone or laptop. To register, call 231.924.3073 or go online. Featured experts are:
“Nicotine is one of the top 5 most addictive drugs known to man, and with vaping and e-cigarette use on the rise, we are facing a significant health challenge among teens and individuals. Nicotine use has been linked to slower brain development in teens and can affect their memory, learning, and self-control.” said Jena Zeerip, Gerber Memorial community programs supervisor. “With our free virtual seminar, we hope to equip families and individuals with tools they can use to navigate youth conversations about vaping. We will also address social norms and how social media influences youth perception. Our panel of experts are on the frontlines of the effort to reduce vaping and e-cigarette use in local communities, and we are excited to have them share this valuable information.” Across the United States, e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, have reached epidemic levels, threatening to hook a new generation of young people on nicotine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of any tobacco and nicotine product, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe for young people. About 1 of every 5 high school students reported in 2020 that they used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days and about 1 of every 20 middle school students reported in 2020 that they used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, CDC data shows. |
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