Transitions

As we’re gearing into the holiday season, transitioning into shorter days and darker nights, we find ourselves turning inwards following the rhythm nature has set before us; slowing down, beginning our hibernation period. Our seasonal changes are the perfect way to transition ourselves-body, mind, and spirit.

In the spirit of reminiscing of warmer days, I wanted to take some time and reflect on all the community outreach we participated in over the summer months. Several local grass-root efforts took place which brings feelings of hope and love. Hopeful in seeing the community come together and love in the strengthening of relationships and partnerships in our communities.

It has been a unique past few years and being back in outreach, anchored in community, sparks my spirit and is what fills my cup. Some of the highlights include being able to see local Providence Caregivers lead the charge for mental health and creating a Sky Valley Mental Health Awareness event at Sky Valley Park in Monroe. It was incredible seeing the local community coming together, sharing resources, and advocating for mental health.

We hosted and attended our annual Healthier Communities Day at Funko Field, rooting for the Everett Aquasox! This is always a fun-filled event and great for families and folks of all ages. Several of our local community partners were involved in providing health education and promotion resources and information to the greater community.

We had the opportunity to attend the annual Afro-Latino Festival, held in Lynnwood at Silver Creek Church. This event is fueled by food, traditional dancing and music, local crafts, and much more! It’s a great way to celebrate the Afro-Latino culture and connect with community.

Another favorite is the annual National Night Out, held every first Tuesday in August. This event is recognized nationally and allows local communities to come together connecting with law enforcement, first responders, neighbors, and community agencies who have resources and information to share. This event provides time for community building, enhancing relationships, and for folks to get to know their neighbors. Neighborhoods will often come together, whether it is a block party, or at a park, sharing food, having safety demonstrations, along with having positive experiences focusing on safety and prevention.

We had the opportunity to attend the 19^th Annual Latino Expo, hosted by our community partner, LETI. Our Cultural Navigators and Stroke team were on hand to help celebrate Latino culture and share resources with many of our Spanish speaking community.  The colorful music and dancers represented many groups including Mexico and Native America.

As we are continuing our efforts of being back in community you can find us at these local events within the next few weeks Dia de los Muertos and Links and Alliances, so outreach is certainly not over for the season! We welcome you to stop by and visit.

Earlier this summer, as part of our community outreach, we pre-released three Edge of Amazing (EOA) Workshop recordings, free to our community. If you missed EOA this year, it’s not too late to view these select workshop recordings. Click here for access. Also, don’t forget to visit Edge of Amazing for additional community resources on all EOA presentations.

Visit our site to stay updated on all things health education promotion outreach related, Health Education Promotion Outreach. You can see all the work we do bridging the gap between clinical care and community. I also encourage you to check out our blog site which hosts the latest information of what PIHC has been doing, you can find our blog site here.

Visit our Facebook Page, to find current community events, resource shares & local health news. Want to share your current events, resource highlight or health awareness news? E-mail us at [email protected] with all the details, including your flyer or photo if applicable.

Want to share LiveWellLocal with your community. Use sharable resources from our Outreach Toolkit (downloadable flyers, posters, social media post templates, etc.) and use our animated video explainer to help users understand how LiveWellLocal.org works.

To learn more about all Providence Institute for a Healthier Community programs and resources click here.

Enjoy this season,

Jessica Stallings
Community Health Education