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Press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ava Crawford
(919) 828-1819
[email protected]

NC Healthy Start Foundation launches new initiative to improve the health of women and young children across North Carolina

(Raleigh, NC)-This spring the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation's RICHES Project (Resources in Communities Helps Encourage Solutions) will host six regional meetings, from April 30th through June 11th, for community-based agencies serving women of childbearing age. A three-year grant from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation will provide the opportunity for as many as 200 organizations to share resources and receive training and materials on how to improve the health of women and young children in their communities.

The RICHES Project 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. The six regional meetings will be held in Lee (4/30), Sampson (5/7), Guilford (5/14), Edgecombe (5/21), Buncombe (6/4), and Mecklenburg (6/11) counties from
10 am to 3 pm and will focus on sharing resources and strategies related to women's health and wellness. The following sites will serve as host for the six regional meetings:

Coalition for Families of Lee County
Sampson County Health Department
Guilford County Department of Public Health
Edgecombe County Administration Building
NC Cooperative Extension of Buncombe County
Florence Crittenton Services

Participating organizations will have the opportunity to discuss the health-related needs of women they serve and those living in their communities. In addition, the
NC Healthy Start Foundation will train attendees to use the new Health Journal Tool Kit. This kit will provide instructions and activities on a variety of health topics in a portable, easy-to-use, flip chart binder. It was designed for community groups to use with the women they serve or one-on-one in a clinic or home-visiting setting. The tool kit builds on My Health Journal (available free at www.NCHealthyStart.org). It includes topics such as recommended checkups, reproductive health, emotional health, family health history and setting health goals. It also provides space for women to chart new health behaviors and keep track of their health history and test results.

All content featured in the My Health Journal was developed by members of the RICHES pilot project in 2007-2008. During that time, the RICHES Project identified and linked over 200 agencies working with women of reproductive age in 100 counties and assessed their needs. An electronic toolkit was also developed with links to websites and other available resources.

RICHES is one of the many initiatives developed by the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation to reduce infant death and illness and improve the health of women and young children across our state. Organizations who work with women of reproductive age and are interested in joining RICHES, can contact NC Healthy Start 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.

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Last updated: May 2010

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