FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Ava Crawford
(919) 828-1819
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The North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation to host statewide roundtable discussions on women’s health issues
(Raleigh, NC) – This spring North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation's RICHES Project (Resources In Communities Helps Encourage Solutions) is conducting six statewide roundtable discussions on women’s health and related issues from May 6th through June 17th, for community-based agencies serving women of childbearing age. The regional meetings will be held in Moore, Duplin, Forsyth, Halifax, Buncombe and Iredell counties from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the following locations:
Friday, May 6th - Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills
Friday, May 13th - Duplin County Health Department
Friday, May 20th - YWCA of Winston-Salem
Friday, June 3rd - Halifax Community College
Friday, June 10th - Mission Hospital Children's Center
Friday, June 17th - Iredell County Cooperative Extension
Each meeting offers community-based organizations and agencies such as local health departments, cooperative extensions, YWCA's and other nonprofits, a platform to share resources and network with one another to find solutions to health disparities in their area. Experts will present information on a variety of topics including helping women improve their reproductive health and family planning methods. Each participating organization will receive a set of the newly created family planning flashcards, an easy-to-use tool for talking with women about effective birth control methods.
The regional meetings will also explore topics featured in the Choices That Matter Tool Kit. The tool kit is a portable, easy-to-use flip chart binder with instructions and activities on a variety of health topics including relationships, domestic violence and STIs. Each participating organization will receive a tool kit and training on how to incorporate it into their existing programs either in a small group setting and/or one-on-one.
At the end of each meeting, participants will complete an action plan outlining their next steps for using each educational tool. They will also receive a certificate of completion and a travel stipend.
RICHES, is dedicated to improving the health of women, particularly minorities and those living in low wealth communities, by creating opportunities for community-based organizations to educate, encourage and support women in adopting healthier lifestyles and behaviors.
Thanks to three years of funding from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, RICHES provides the opportunity for nearly 100 organizations and agencies to share resources and receive trainings and materials on how to improve the health of women in their communities. Organizations who work with women of reproductive age and are interested in participating in one of the six regional meetings can contact the NC Healthy Start Foundation at 919-828-1819 or visit www.NCHealthyStart.org.
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The N.C. Healthy Start Foundation, a
nonprofit organization established in 1990, conducts
ongoing public education campaigns, advises state and
local policy makers, and provides technical assistance
and professional training focused on reducing infant
death and illness and improving the health of women
and young children in North Carolina.
