BARK About the Community

June is Home Safety Month

Danielle.Perkins — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:38:46 +0000

According to the “2010 National Health Observance” calendar the month of June is “Home Safety Month”. By providing focused education, information, and resources, this initiative provides communities with tools to maintain safety in households.

Several factors are considered in determining the level of safety in a home. These are the seven occurrences that families are at risk of experiencing in their homes:

-Falls

–Poisonings

–Fires

- Burns

–Choking/Suffocation

–Drowning

- Poisoning

According to the Home Safety Council recent studies show that while almost all parents (99 percent) feel it’s important to keep their family safe at home, very few are taking all of the recommended steps to prevent home injuries. Nearly half (49 percent) of caregivers have not installed a carbon monoxide alarm in their home. 40 percent of parents do not store medications in high cabinets secured with cabinet locks.

Here are a couple of ” Home Safety Tips”:

To prevent falls: Have bright lights over stairs and steps and on landings. Keep stairs clear of clutter

To prevent fires and burns: Have working smoke alarms and hold fire drills. If you build a new home, install fire sprinklers.

To prevent choking and suffocation: Things that can fit through a toilet paper tube can cause a young child to choke. Keep coins, latex balloons and hard round foods, such as peanuts and hard candy where children cannot see or touch them.

For more information on “Home Safety Month” and tips and resources for keeping families safe in domestic settings, please visit www.homesafetycouncil.org .

Child Abuse Awareness Month

Danielle.Perkins — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:56:49 +0000

Child abuse is defined as any act to harm or to threaten harm to a child’s health or welfare which can occur through non-accidental physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or attempted sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or attempted sexual exploitation. Child abuse and neglect has become one of the more common causes of death and injury to children not only in the United States, but worldwide.

Most often, when there is evidence of spousal abuse or animal abuse, children are also being abused. The following are alarming facts about child abuse and neglect in the United States.

A child goes missing in the United States every 40 seconds.

More than 700,000 children go missing annually.

250,000 are classified as Runaways

150,000 are classified as “Throw-away/Abandoned”

300,000 are classified as Missing / Abducted

58,000 are taken by non-family members

If you suspect any child abuse, neglect, or endangerment please adhere to the following procedures:

CALL THE HOTLINE AT 1-800-392-3738, The Children’s Division staff this hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They will take information from you and respond to child abuse and neglect. If you live outside Missouri and want to report abuse or neglect of a Missouri child, call (573) 751-3448.
HAVE COMPLETE INFORMATION, Children’s Division needs specific information to be able to respond to a complaint of abuse or neglect. Be sure you have:
- the name of the child
- the name of the parent(s)
- the name of the alleged abuser
- where the child can be located
You will also be asked:
- Is the child in a life-threatening situation now?
- How do you know about the abuse/neglect?
- Did you witness the abuse/neglect?
- Were there other witnesses and how can they be contacted?

Notice to Mandated Reporters, Effective August 28, 2004: If you are required to report child abuse or neglect because of your occupation, you may no longer make an anonymous call to the Hotline.
CONSIDER IDENTIFYING YOURSELF, If you are not required by occupation to report, you don’t have to identify yourself when you make a hotline call, however being able to contact you later helps CD workers do a more thorough investigation. They may need to ask you for more information during the investigation process.

For more information on reporting child abuse, please contact the Missouri Division of Social and Senior Services athttp://www.dss.mo.gov/cd/rptcan.htm

President Obama is Coming to Town

Danielle.Perkins — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:12:32 +0000

As our country embarks on getting our economy back on track, it almost becomes an balancing act of all important issues that crucially affect our everyday lives and economic stability. In the state of Missouri, we face the same economic issues that most of the the other 50 states encounter. To address some of the concerns regarding healthcare, and unemployment, President Obama will be speaking to approximately 400 attendees at the St. Charles High School in St. Charles, MO. ”It’s a once in a lifetime event; we’re having a good time!” said the St. Charles School District superintendent, Randal Charles. To also show support to our community, he will be supporting Missouri US senator, Claire McCaskill.

To recive more information on the Presidents visit to MO, please visit http://www.kmov.com/news/local/President-Obama-to-visit-St-Charles-on-Wednesday-87034042.html

Healthy Start to a Healthy Heart

Danielle.Perkins — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:43:42 +0000

We all know February is the month of LOVE. On Valentine’s Day, we overindulge in foods that are not conducive to our heart and overall health. Heart disease is one of the top causes of death in the United States and many minorities are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Inadequte access to healthcare and proper nutrition resources have only added to the problem. A recent survey found that Hispanics and blacks are less likely than whites to have access to a regular source of medical care. By having health insurance and a medical home, these disparites in access to quality healthcare can be reduced.

Action and awarness is crucial to saving lives. With such organizations as the American Heart Association, we can educate and provide resources to begin fighting heart disease.

Four Simple Things You Can Do to Healthy-Start Your Heart

Get Active: If you are overweight, make sure you are active at least one hour a day.

Eat Better: Make sure you eat the correct portions and reduce your cholesterol intake.

Stop Smoking: Smoking by itself increases the risk of heart disease. By quitting you reduce your risk of heart disease dramatically.

Lose Weight: By making a conscious choice to lose weight, you can lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels, which all factor into heart disease.

For more information on heart disease prevention, please visit: www.americanheart.org

Heating Up the Neighborhood

Danielle.Perkins — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:00:11 +0000

I recently had an opportunity to be a “celebrity greeter” during the “Rise and Shine for Heat” initiative for Heat Up/ Cool Down St. Louis. During this event, the “celebrity greeters” requested funds to benefit area residents that may be in need of heating assistance. This event took place throughout several Hardee’s restaurant locations in St. Louis City and County, with media coverage from local news channels.

Heat Up/ Cool Down St. Louis provides a safety net in a region which often does not have enough federal, state or utility funds to help keep the needy connected to their utility services. It was to my surprise that the public was so generous when donating funds to a great cause. During this time of economic crisis, many people are in need of assistance in any way possible.

Heat Up / Cool Down St. Louis services these areas:

St. Louis City & County, St. Charles County, Lincoln County, Jefferson County, Franklin County, St. Clare County (IL), St. Genevieve County, Iron County, Madison County, and Butler County.

For more information about Heat Up/ Cool Down St. Louis, please visit www.heatupstlouis.org

Kids Count Day at the Capital

Danielle.Perkins — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:51:40 +0000

January 27, 2010 marked the day that over 80 healthcare advocates throughout Missouri convened in the state’s capital, Jefferson City, to rally for more programs for children. This day also marked the official release of the “Kids Count in Missouri Data Book.” For more information on “Kids Count Day” please visit, www.mokids.org.

The 2010 U.S. Census – Make It Count

D.J. — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:22:38 +0000

Some folks say they plan to skip this year’s census for reasons ranging from just plain old laziness to disregard for government. At the risk of sounding like a cheerleader for the tally, here’s a key reason why we should all stand up and be counted: the money – about $400 billion worth each year according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That money is used for things like job training centers, schools, senior centers, hospitals, emergency services, and infrastructure improvements like roads and bridges.

If you’re wondering how the census impacts the use of so much money, it’s quite simple. Federal dollars for services like education, transportation, healthcare and job training are distributed based on the population count. In addition, census data affect the number of seats a state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives, so the census can influence a state’s political clout.

If the money isn’t enough, then here’s one more reason: a variety of organizations including charities, outreach agencies and businesses use census data to research markets, advocate for causes, monitor public health trends, locate groups of skilled workers and much more. So when you get that census form, consider your community and fill it out.

President Obama to Write Cover Story for Newsweek about Haiti Disaster

Kelly Huffman — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:05:05 +0000

The St. Louis American recently posted an article saying that President Obama was asked to write the cover story about the Haiti earthquake for Newsweek. The issue is due to be released on Monday, January 25, 2010.

Does anyone think that President Obama should be the one writing about this issue? Some of the buzz is that Obama is doing this to make him look like he’s getting publicity out of a disaster. Others feel that he is really passionate about the horrible condition of Haiti and wants to help. What do you think??

Obesity Rates Hit a Plateau in the U.S.

Kelly Huffman — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:49:40 +0000

A recent article in the New York Times says that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the obesity rates in the United States have hit their peak. Obesity rates have remained consistent for the last 5 years in men and up to 10 years in women and children. Although it’s good news to hear that obesity is at its peak, the numbers that obesity peaked at are very high. About 34% of adults are obese in the U.S.– more than double the % from 30 years ago. A shocking 17% of children in the U.S. are currently obese– a number that tripled in the last 30 years.

It is still very important to educate children about eating right and exercise. If they practice better living habits at an earlier age, it is more likely that they will continue to live healthier as they grow older and raise their own children.

Do December Job Losses Take a Bite Out of Optimism?

D.J. — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:10:23 +0000

U.S. unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted, December 2007 to December 2009. Chart courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, the jaws of job loss have surfaced again. Although the unemployment rate was unchanged, nonfarm payrolls lost 85,000 jobs in December, a number that was slightly higher than expected given a drop in the unemployment rate in November.

Check out the data: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

Will the economic downturn continue to bare its teeth in 2010? Share your thoughts here on our blog.