Save The Date: The Challenge of Feeding Our Diverse Communities in Delaware County - March 1, 2011

The Challenge of Feeding our Diverse Communities in Delaware County
Tuesday March 1, 2011 - Widener University - Chester, PA
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Approved by the following for 6 hours of continuing education credit:
State Board of Social Workers Marriage and Family Therapists Professional Counselors

• Join those concerned about hunger related issues in our community.
• Learn about how food insecurity contributes to health disparities across the lifespan.
• Explore how cultural and ethnic differences may affect food security.
• Network with others addressing hunger to find solutions to your client’s greatest needs.

Planning Committee
Abundant Life Empowerment Missions - Bernardine Center - Community Action Agency of Delaware County - DCIU Head Start - Delaware County Interfaith Hospitality Network - Delaware County Office of Adult Services - Family and Community Service of Delaware County - Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry – Neumann University - Nutritional Development Services - PathWays PA - Penn State Cooperative Extension-Delaware County - Philabundance - Rocky Run YMCA - United Way of Southeast Delaware County - Widener University - Women, Infants and Children Program

T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Helps Child Care Workers and Youth Work Professionals Earn Coursework Toward a Credential, Certificate, or Degree

Attention child care workers and youth work professionals! Are you interested in going back to school to earn a credential or degree that will further your career? You may qualify for the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Pennsylvania Scholarship Program which assists child care workers and youth work professionals in achieving their educational goals and securing increased compensation in their respective fields. The T.E.A.C.H. scholarship website lists the four key components of the program as follows:

• Scholarship. The scholarship covers most of the cost for tuition and books. Recipients also receive a travel stipend each semester they are enrolled in class. T.E.A.C.H. requires that the sponsoring child care program or afterschool/youth program offer paid release time for the student to attend class, study, or handle personal needs. Participants are assigned a counselor to assist them in scholarship management and career development.
• Education. In one scholarship year, each participant must successfully complete a required number of credit hours (usually 9-15) toward a degree or credential in early childhood education, school age/afterschool child care, youth work, or appropriate related field.
  
• Compensation. At the end of the scholarship year, if they complete their educational requirement, participants are eligible to receive either a bonus or a raise.
• Commitment. Participants agree to continue working in their child care program or afterschool/youth program for one year after each scholarship year.

Child care workers must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the scholarship:

• be a resident of Pennsylvania
• work about 25-30 hours a week as classroom staff or center director* at a DPW-certified child care facility in Pennsylvania for at least one year, or Pre-K Counts Head Start Program
• have a high school diploma or GED
• earn an income of less than $19.00 per hour
• possess a commitment to remain in the early childhood field
• have an interest in pursuing a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, PA Director's Credential, Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education (or equivalent)
• work at a program participating in Keystone STARS level 1 and above
  
• Bachelor’s degree applicants must have already earned an Associate’s degree in ECE or have at least 55 transferable credits toward a Bachelor’s in ECE, be eligible for admission as an in-state student and have worked in child care in PA for at least one year

*Scholarships for center directors do not include release time; however, sponsoring centers must be flexible in releasing the director to attend class.

Youth work professionals must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the scholarship:

• be a resident of Pennsylvania
• be employed at least 15 hours per week in a DPW certified school age child care program or in a self-regulated afterschool/youth development program*
• be employed by sponsoring program for at least one year and maintain employment for at least 9 months out of the year
  
• be eligible for college/university admission
• earn less than $15.00 per hour for direct care staff and less than $19.00 per hour for program directors/coordinators
• possess a commitment to remain in the afterschool/youth development field
• have an interest in pursuing a credential, certificate, or degree in School Age/Afterschool child care, Youth Work, or appropriate related field
• work at a program participating in Keystone STARS level 1 and above
  

*A self-regulated program is one that is licensed, accredited, or certified by a governing agency, organization, or board. The program may also be actively participating in or pursuing a national, statewide, or locally-based quality improvement process or system.

To find out more information on the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship program or to download an application, visit http://www.pacca.org/teach or call the Pennsylvania Child Care Association at (717) 657-9000.

New Tool Helps Consumers Find "Best Buys" on Prescription Drugs

With the wide variety of prescription drugs available on the market today, knowing which drugs are safe, effective, and reasonably priced is not always easy. However, an online tool recently launched on AARP's website can help. AARP's new Drug Savings Tool guides consumers through the confusion of prescription drug choices in three easy steps.

1. First, you are prompted to enter the name of the drug you are looking for (the tool has information on 500 prescription drugs).
2. Next, a list of prescription drug options is produced that allows you to compare the price of the drug you searched with the prices of comparable prescription drugs that are on Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs list.
3. Finally, the tool provides information on the safety and effectiveness of the prescription drugs on your list of options, giving "Best Buy" recommendations in addition to offering drug reports and summaries that can be downloaded in English and Spanish.

AARP hopes to see the information offered through the Drug Savings Tool facilitate discussion between patients and healthcare providers concerning prescription drug options. Patients are encouraged to bring the list of drug choices produced using the savings tool to their next doctor's appointment to review with their healthcare provider. In doing so, a patient and doctor can work together to make the best prescription drug choice for the patient.

Family Financial Play Pack

Click here to be connected to the Family Financial Play Pack, a resource that is easy to print and use with your child to help them learn about counting, saving, borrowing, earning and giving dollars & cents as well as banking and credit. These simple activities and concepts are presented in a fun and child-friendly way to help parents provide early financial education for their children.

This resource was put together by the National Endowment for Financial Education and the National Center for Family Literacy.

Need Help Finding Health Care? Use These Tools!

If you are looking for help finding healthcare, Healthcare.gov has some great tools for you to use.  Using their website, you can compare coverage and pricing on health insurance in your area . 

In addition, if you are looking for a health clinic, Healthcare.gov offers a portable version of the "Find a Health Center" tool available online from HHS.  The portable version is available for free download from iTunes.  Federally-funded health centers provide checkups, treatment, pregnancy care, immunizations, dental care, prescriptions, mental health, and substance abuse care, even if you don't have insurance.

Finally, as a recent article pointed out, new high-risk pools that have opened up in many states have room for new individuals.  If you have a pre-existing condition and have not been insured in six months, please check out PA Fair Care or the insurance option in your state.

Diabetes Awareness Month Resources in Delco

During National Diabetes Month, there will be several special events in the Delaware County area. Please read below, and look for events in your area as well!

Do You Have Pre-Diabetes?

A special “Lunch and Learn” educational session featuring a guest appearance by NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins

Wednesday, November 10, Noon-1 p.m., Healthplex® Sports Club, Basketball Court

In recognition of Diabetes Awareness Month, Mary Jane McDevitt, R.N., B.S.N., CDE, program coordinator for the Crozer-Keystone Center for Diabetes, will discuss:

• Nutrition and diabetes prevention
• Exercise and its relationship with diabetes
• Obesity and its relationship to insulin resistance
• Understanding diabetes terminology

After McDevitt’s presentation, Dominique Wilkins, who has type 2 diabetes, will speak about his experiences of living with the disease and his recommendations for following a healthy lifestyle. The nine-time NBA All-Star, nicknamed the “Human Highlight Film,” will greet attendees following the presentation.

For more information, call 610-328-8920. Learn more about the Center for Diabetes at http://diabetes.crozer.org.

 Healthy Living with Diabetes

Saturday, November 13, 2010, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Springfield Hospital, 190 West Sproul Road, Springfield, PA

The Crozer-Keystone Health System Center for Diabetes is proud to recognize American
Diabetes Month with a free, comprehensive, community education event. The event will feature a health fair that will include free screenings and information about diabetes risk factors provided by Crozer-Keystone departments and national vendors. FREE FLU SHOTS WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE!

• 8-10 a.m. Free Glucose and Cholesterol Screenings: Patients are required to begin fasting at midnight in order to have the screening done at the health fair. Free screening vouchers will be given after 10 a.m., and to those who forgot to fast.
• 9 a.m. Treating Diabetes: Featuring Ruth Ann Fitzpatrick, M.D., CKHS Endocrinologist
• 10:15 a.m. The Effect of Diabetes on the Eye: Featuring Christopher Williams, M.D., chief of Ophthalmology at Crozer-Chester Medical Center
• 11:30 a.m. How Do You Eat an Elephant? Knowledge is Power: Overcoming the Emotional Impact of Diabetes: Featuring Patty Haney, mid-Atlantic regional manager for Johnson and Johnson

This event is a must for:

• Those who have pre-diabetes or diabetes.
• Those who have a loved one with pre-diabetes or diabetes.
• Those who just want to learn more about the disease.

To register for the event call 1-800-CK-HEALTH (1-800-254-3258)

Nursing professionals are eligible to receive 3 continuing education credits for attending the three lectures.

Crozer Keystone Health System Nursing Education is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Help Payless Give Away $1.2 Million in Shoes!

(h/t People's Emergency Center)

Every year, Payless invites nonprofit organizations serving children in need to apply for their program which gives coupons for new, free shoes at Payless. The application is open until Friday. November 5, and all qualified nonprofit organizations are encouraged to apply.  Organizations are chosen based on their nonprofit status, work with children, and geographic proximity to a Payless store (usually within 100 miles of a store).

Even if you don't work for a nonprofit organization, please share this with nonprofits you know and support.

Expedited Career Path to EMT

New Article in Delaware County Daily Times: PathWays PA’s symposium focuses on the need to take advantage of refund

This Sunday's Delaware County Daily Times featured an article on a recent symposium held by PathWays PA, and specifically on the need for more families to learn about the Earned Income Tax Credit:

Thousands of tax filers are reaping millions of dollars in earned income tax credit here in Delaware County, although about a fifth of those eligible don’t take advantage of this refund.

“$76 million came back to workers in this county alone,” John Wancheck of the Washington-based Center on Budget & Policy Priorities said at PathWays PA’s Network for Strategic Asset Building Symposium at the Drexelbrook Corporate Events Center.

In Pennsylvania, through Oct. 21, 905,123 filers received the earned income tax credit to the tune of $1.8 billion. That’s a 13 percent increase over the previous year, compared to the 4 percent increase between 2008 and 2009.

Wancheck added, however, that 20 to 25 percent of the workers who qualify for the earned income credit don’t apply for it.

“There’s a lot of dollars left in Washington — $10 billion,” he said. “So, there is this critical need for outreach like PathWays PA is doing.”

To read the rest of the article and see the video taken by the Times, please visit their website. To learn more about PathWays PA's work on the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, please visit our website.