Peoria – During April 7-13, 2014, the Peoria City/County Health Department joins community members to recognize National Public Health Week. This week is an opportunity for organizations, individuals, and businesses to demonstrate how they support public health activities. Every person who works, plays, or lives in Peoria County can participate to address health and safety and improve the health of people in our area, not just for the week, or the month, but all year long. For Public Health: Start Here!
• April 1-30. Start Here by visiting the Peoria City/County Health Department website at www.pcchd.org to view videos, articles, and services that show how public health contributes to the overall health of the community. People are touched by public health on a daily basis. Learn how public health works with organizations and individuals to help the community keep food safe, detect and stop outbreaks of disease, and help create conditions that support people to make healthier choices in diet, exercise, and tobacco use.
• April 1-30. Start Here with a daily visit to the new Peoria County Breastfeeding Moms Facebook page and check out the daily April picture posts of breastfeeding through the ages. This new page is a place for questions, answers, and thoughts about breastfeeding and its many rewards for baby and mom. “Like” the page and join in the conversation to give all babies a healthy start!
• April 1. Start Here and check out the Freedom From Smoking classes at Hult Center for Healthy Living. The gold standard of smoking cessation classes developed by the American Heart Association, Freedom From Smoking, provides a supportive style of help to quit smoking. Call Hult now to register at 692-6650.
• April 2. Start Here and celebrate National Walk Day with your own group activity as employees do at Peoria City/County Health Department. For National Walk Day the Health Department’s Team Building Activities Committee chose a walking path through the neighborhood and will have groups walking throughout the day. Get your walking shoes ready and plan your own group or workplace project for National Walk Day. Call 679-6110 and get help planning your own walk!
• April 12 through May and beyond. Start Here by watching the short TV commercial of A Day in Public Health. This commercial can be seen on TV and even on the website at www.pcchd.org. Watch how public health is a part of everyday life through water fluoridation, Smoke-free Illinois, restaurant inspections, and infection prevention.
• April 26. Start Here as Peoria County employees sponsor volunteer participation in a National Rebuilding Day home rehabilitation project. Peoria County employees show support for healthy homes in a healthy community through volunteer efforts with Rebuilding Together-Peoria. Find out more about this volunteer project at 495-4627.
• April 26-30. Start Here on the Peoria City/County Health Department Facebook page for daily posts on important vaccination information for National Infant Immunization Week. Immunizations save lives and the best way to protect children is to make sure they have all their immunizations.
Join our community members, businesses, and organizations for Public Health: Start Here by celebrating National Public Health Week all month long!
For more information on National Public Health Week and public health issues, call 679-6603 or visit the Peoria City/County Health Department website at www.pcchd.org.