eCheckUp Holiday Promotion: Win up to $100! Holidays bring a range of gathering opportunities, lots of emotions, and possible extra stresses into our lives that may lead to increased opportunities to drink alcohol, often changing our normal patterns of use. Many who drink during the holidays are not regular drinkers and may have a lower tolerance for alcohol or find they go overboard for the sake of the holiday celebration. As we begin this holiday season Healthy Lamoille Valley encourages all Lamoille Valley residents, and especially 18-25 year olds who are in the highest risk group for binge drinking to take the free eCheckUp To Go on line survey before the holiday season is in full gear (https://www.healthylamoillevalley.org/resources/echeckup/). Upon completing the survey, users can choose to enter to win one of three giftcards ($100, $50, & $25) to Johnson Hardware, Rental, Farm and Garden.
December 9th – Re-envision the Future of Wolcott – Healthy Community Design Initiatives continue to move forward in Wolcott. Healthy Lamoille Valley is partnering with the Lamoille County Planning Commission to hold a series of visioning workshops for the town.On Tuesday, December 9th the community is invited to share their vision for the town at Wolcott Elementary School from 6:00-7:30. Kids are welcome and refreshments will be served! Mrs. Hill’s third grade class will be making a special presentation on the Wolcott Community! View the complete information at: https://www.healthylamoillevalley.org/re-envision-the-future-of-wolcott-december-9th/.
Healthy Community Design Mini-Grants due December 31st – Healthy Lamoille Valley is pleased to announce the following mini-grant funding opportunity for health and wellness community-based projects. Mini-grants of up to $500 are available for community projects in the following categories: Healthy Foods, Parks and Recreation, Bike and Pedestrian Improvements and Healthy Lifestyles. Municipalities, 501c3 Organizations, Schools, Fitness Facilities/Instructors, Health Care Organizations and Civic Groups in Lamoille Valley are all eligible to apply. We support community-initiated projects that are helping to create environments and opportunities that make it easier for people to engage in and live healthy, active lives. Visit https://www.healthylamoillevalley.org/818/ for the complete RFP.
JSC Disc Golf Project– Healthy Lamoille Valley is currently working with the Dean of Student’s Office to support the redesign of the Disc Golf Course for the spring of 2015. Students have undertaken much work to update and improve the course. Healthy Lamoille Valley will be working with students and JSC administrators to provide signage with alcohol safety messages throughout the course. Once completed the course will be open to the community.
Call for Partnership for Success RFP’s Ongoing Submissions – We are currently seeking one-time project proposals to be awarded through the Partnership for Success Grant in mini-grants of $1,000-$2,500 for a total of $10,000 to be awarded in the region. Healthy Lamoille Valley is interested in opportunities that leverage new ideas or other dollars for projects that address the priorities of the PFS grant which include: reducing underage drinking among persons 12-20, reducing binge drinking among persons aged 18 to 25 and/or reducing prescription drug misuse and abuse among persons aged 12 to 25. This will not be ongoing funding. Proposed projects should have a one-time and lasting value, or have other means of sustainability. All proposed work must occur in the Lamoille Valley. These communities include: Cambridge, Jeffersonville, Waterville, Belvidere, Eden, Johnson, Hyde Park, Morrisville, Wolcott, Stowe, Elmore, Hardwick, Greensboro, Craftsbury, Stannard, and Woodbury. The project must be completed and evaluated by the end of June, 2015. Complete RFP at: https://www.healthylamoillevalley.org/pfs-mini-grants-available-for-prevention-work/
eCheckUp Employer & Provider Programs – Healthy Lamoille Valley also has promotional resources and funding for area employers to offer the eCheckUp program as part of their employee wellness plans at no cost to the employer. We will gladly come and share with you and your staff. Please contact Jessica Bickford at jessica@healthylamoillevalley.org or call 802.730.6599 for more information. Check Out eCheckUp firsthand at: https://www.healthylamoillevalley.org/resources/echeckup/
Upcoming DLC Seminar – The Department of Liquor Control Seminar will be presenting a First Class seminar (Restaurant, Bar, Hotel, & Clubs) on December 10th at HH Bingham’s at the Inn at Stowe Mountain in the Toll House Plaza on the Mountain Rd. in Stowe from 10:00-1:00. Register at: https://secure.vermont.gov/DLC/eventreg/. These seminars provide an important in-person training to servers, teaching them to recognize signs of intoxication, identifying fake ids and preventing underage drinking, and preventing drunk driving.
Youth Suicide Prevention – On November 13th 28 students from People’s Academy and Hazen Union High Schools traveled with SAPs (Student Assistance Professionals) Peter Hathaway and Mike Clark and Healthy Lamoille Valley staff member, Jessica Bickford, to the first Umatter for Youth and Young Adult Conference at Lake Morey in Fairlee. Students joined with about 70 other youth and young adults from 21 different organizations and schools to learn stress management techniques, to recognize the signs of someone in distress and how to get help for a friend or classmate who is struggling. Each student group brainstormed a project with their SAP to work locally to reduce a contributing factor of youth suicide. Contributing factors towards youth suicide include stress, alcohol and drug abuse, depression, gender issues, and bullying. Additional resources can be found at www.umatterucangethelp.com.
Website Updates and Resources – We’re constantly updating our website, so add it your list of regular check-ins! Under Resources we’ve recently updated the Suicide Prevention and Parent Resources. We’ve also added a Teen and Young Adult tab that we’d love help updating (if you know someone between 12 and 25 who would like to help have them contact Jessica at jessica@healthylamoillevalley.org.)
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