CCNTR - Caring Community Network of the Twin Rivers
Site Map Links Contact Us Home Members Only Employment Opportunities News & Events Assisting Agencies Getting Involved Taking Action Identifying Needs Bringing People Together Who We Are Home
Taking Action
  • Healthy Heart
  • Introduction
    Access to Care
    System of Care
    Building Communities
    Engaging Communities

    Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL)

     

    Healthy Heart For Life Make the Move!

    The Need
    In 2007, CCNTR released a Community Health Improvement Plan” that included a focus on health promotion and education to improve individual health by increasing awareness of health risk factors and increase healthy choices through education. Accompanying this need, the 2007 CCNTR Community Public Health Needs Assessment Executive Summary “Health Care and Related Community Concerns section cited that 41% of respondents indicated that weight-related health was a major concern.

    Actions
    A collaborative group of partners in the CCNTR region have joined together to deliver HEAL interventions through a three-year community grant program awarded by the Foundation for Healthy Communitiesė HEAL Initiative. The Healthy Heart for Life Make the Move Project targets all ages to increase daily physical activity and consume healthier foods such fruits and vegetables. The Healthy Heart Project focuses on three sectors of HEAL including schools, communities & municipalities, food & recreation industries. While the focus is on obesity prevention and reduction, many other chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease can be prevented and managed by increasing these healthier behaviors. Programming includes: summer and after-school HEAL activities, youth gardening, teaching families and youth about "5210" Healthy NH, building and promoting recreational trails, intergenerational HEAL, eating healthier in restaurants and convenience stores, promoting farmerės markets as well as connecting youth to nature. For more information on the following Healthy Heart for Life Make the Move HEAL programs, please contact Michael Loomis at 934-0177 ext 102 or email mloomis@ccntr.org.

    Make the Move Approved Restaurants
    The Caring Community Network of the Twin Rivers and local restaurants have joined together to offer healthier options when eating out! In order for a restaurant to become "Make the Move Approved", they must offer at least two of the following options: Take Half Home (Boxing up half of the meal before it is served) Cook to Order (Ask for healthier cooking options for your meal such as grilled instead of fried or no butter/salt added) Smaller Entree Portions at a Reduced Price, or Healthy Substitutions (Allow to substitute vegetables, fruit, salad or rice for any side). Choices may vary among these restaurants. Any restaurant customer who chooses an approved option at an approved restaurant, has the chance to win a $25 gift certificate at any Make the Move Approved Restaurant of their choice. Ask your server for a Make the Move Approved entry card. A winner is picked every month beginning April 1, 2010! Free Healthy Heart Walking and Physical Activity Guides are also available at these restaurants. Visit any of the following "Make the Move Approved!" restaurants today!

    Ariannaės Cafe
    421 N. Main St. Franklin, NH 603-934-5577 Offering - Take Half Home, Cook to Order, Healthy Substitutions

    Ciao Pasta
    196 Central St. Franklin, NH 603-934-2429 www.ciaopastanh.com Offering - Take Half Home, Cook to Order

    Make the Move Approved Convenience Stores
    The Caring Community Network of the Twin Rivers and local convenience stores have joined together to offer healthier options when you are on the run! Ask the clerk at any Make the Move Approved Store about these options: fresh fruit to purchase, free Healthy Heart Walking and Physical Activity Guides, or participate in the "Make the Move Approved Card" Program - Any customer who purchases either a fruit, skim milk, 1% milk or water in an approved store, has the chance to win a $25 gift card to the Tanger Outlets. One winner per month and the drawing starts on April 1, 2010. Ask the clerk for a Make the Move! Approved Card at a participating Store. The following convenience stores are "Make the Move Approved"!

    Packers Outlet
    195 Central St. Franklin, NH 603-934-3733

    Farmerės Markets in the CCNTR Region

    CCNTR staff and partners will be working to promote regional farmerės markets and the great products they have to offer! Stay tuned for a list of 2010 farmerės markets in our area.

    Project Venture Out

    Casey Family Services provides this great resource to Franklin High School students in outdoor recreation opportunities

    CCNTR Regional Questing

    Within the next year, CCNTR will convene regional partners to start planning a questing program. Questing is an activity which uses poems, stories, clues, treasure maps and other means to direct participates to a destination. As you might have guessed, the CCNTR questing program will only use means of transporation by walking, hiking, bicycle or kayak/canoe. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting project. Check out Valley Quest for a great example of questing, visit http://www.vitalcommunities.org/ValleyQuest/ValleyQuest.htm

    2010 Healthy Heart for Life Walking Guide Challenge

    The Healthy Heart Walking Guide Challenge returns in 2010, stay tuned for more information on monthly walks and how to get involved in the challenge!

    Belknap-Merrimack County Action Program "FIT WIC Program"

    Fit WIC is a program to increase the physical activity of preschoolers every day, by providing age-appropriate physical play ideas and activities. It does this by providing parents with ideas and tools to empower them to succeed in this endeavor. Young children need daily opportunities for free, unstructured play, as well as time for structured, skill building play, like throwing and catching.

    Fit WIC promotes the parent as their childės most important teacher. To support parentsė efforts, WIC local agency staff conduct group education activities for 3- to 4-year- old children and their parents. The Fit WIC Parentės Activity book and kit are given out at that time. The book and kit provide inexpensive, easy, age-appropriate activities to increase a preschoolerės play and develop their physical skills. The activity book also offers solutions to common barriers to physical play as identified by parents. Fit WIC offers WIC staff and parents a positive approach to prevent childhood overweight, and sets the stage for healthy habits that can lead to a lifetime of healthy living.

     

    FIT WIC is happening in Franklin and Bristol. More more information, visit http://www.dhhs.state.nh.us/DHHS/WIC/fitwic.htm

    Belknap Merrimack County Action Program Elder Services Program "Senior Strides-Making the Grade!"

    Franklin 3rd & 4th graders from Bessie Rowell are partnering with seniors at the Twin Rivers Intergenerational Program in Franklin on a walking program and healthy snack book.

    Odell Park Centennial Project

    Local residents in Franklin have been working over the past 3 years to revitalize Odell Park to recognize 100 years of providing residents with great recreational resources. Recent improvements include new playground equipment, a gazebo, walking trail and many more to come. Led by Mike Mullavey, 2009 Franklin Citizen of the Year, the project is working with the CCNTR Healthy Heart for Life project to plan out a Parcour (fitness trail) with numerous stations to be physically active along the new Odell Park recreation trail. The March meeting will focus on choosing the stations and then getting City approval followed by raising the funds for the stations. Log on to http://www.washingtonparkour.com/Parkour/parcours/purdue.htm for an example of a Parcour. Visit Odell Park today!

    Spaulding Youth Center

    The Spaulding Healthy Kidės Team is comprised of dedicated members, whose major focus is the studentsķ health needs. They participate as an integral part of the team for all children either providing or obtaining HEAL programming suited to the unique needs of children with neurological, behavioral or developmental challenges. Current focus includes promoting the 5-2-1-0 Healthy New Hampshire theme in daily behaviors through all programming. Remember, 5-2-1-0 stands for (5) fruits or vegetables a day, (2) no more than 2 hours of screen time such as tv or computer games, (1) hour of physical activity, (0) sugary drinks such as soda, energy drinks or fruit juice, instead drink skim or 1% milk and water.

    New Hampshire Food Bank "Operation Frontline"

    OFL is a national nutritional education and financial literacy program designed to combat hunger by providing short-term and long-term solutions to hunger in a fun, interactive cooking-based format. Since OFLės inception in 2000, the New Hampshire OFL program has served over 900 residents by providing over 90 class series and workshops.New Hampshire Operation Frontline offers 7 different curricula to a diverse population:

    Eating Right: Adults with families learn about a balanced diet, food budgeting, basic cooking skills, food safety, and exercise

    The Power of Eating Right: Offered to teens who are at risk of hunger

    Kids Up Front: At-risk school aged children learn about nutrition and cooking through interactive and fun activities

    Side by Side: School aged children and parents come together in the kitchen and learn about basic nutrition and family eating practices

    Step Up to Eating Right: Pregnant or parenting teens and young adults learn about their special dietary needs through hands-on cooking

    Eating Well: Adults living with HIV/AIDS or their caregivers gain cooking, nutrition, food safety, and food budgeting skills

    Saving Smart, Spending Smart: Adults learn basic financial planning and knowledge from a financial professional.

    For more information on these classes or to find out how CCNTR can assist in providing resources or scheduling a class in our region, contact Michael Loomis 934-0177 ext 102.

    Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) - CATCH Kids Club

    CATCH Kids Club (CKC) brings healthy activity to after-school and community recreation programs for children in grade K-5. CKC is composed of nutrition education materials (including snack activities) and a physical activity component. The program is designed with a format that makes it easy for staff to implement and is enjoyable for all. For more information visit, www.catchinfo.org/whatsnewcatchafterschool.asp

    Current CCNTR Regional partners facilitating CKC include: Franklin Parks & Recreation Department, Casey Family Services-Paul Smith Elementary After School Program, Pines Community Center, Tapply Thompson Community Center.

    Early Sprouts

    CCNTR is using the Early Sprouts program developed by Keene State College nutrition and early childhood education faculty. Early Sprouts is a research-based Nutri-tion and Gardening curriculum for the preschool years. The program scope includes raised organic garden beds, sensory experiences, and cooking lessons focused on six target fruits and vegetables Training and support for classroom teachers and family outreach is also included. The curriculum is designed to increase childrenķs food preferences toward the six target fruits and vegetables with the goal of increasing their consumption. Specifically, the curriculum aims to help children overcome their innate neophobia (fear of new foods) through multiple exposures to target fruits and vegetables. When children are provided with repeated opportunities to taste a new food, we assist the child in altering their reactions to the food from rejection to acceptance. Research suggests that it takes five to 10 exposures to a new food for preschool-age children to become comfortable and familiar with the food.

    Current CCNTR Regional partners participating in Early Sprouts include: Tiny Twister Child Care Center, Whole Child Center.

    School Curriculum on Local Recreational Trails

    The Andover Elementary/Middle School is creating school subject curriculum that involves topics such as history and science focusing on the Northern Rail Trail in Merrimack County. This project will take students out of the classroom to learn curriculum on natural and historical points in their own backyard. The Northern Rail Trail goes through the towns of Danbury, Wilmot, Andover, Franklin, and Boscawen in Merrimack County.To learn more about the Friends of the Northern Rail Trail in Merrimack County and their mission to improve, promote, and maintain the Northern Rail Trail as a four season, multi-use trail through Merrimack County. visit www.fnrt.org

    Newfound School District Farmerės Market Extended Learning Opportunity

    Students in the Newfound High School are working on a collaborative partnership with the Bristol Farmerės Market.

    5-2-1-0 Healthy New Hampshire in Local Schools

    The Health Educator at Franklin Regional Hospital and CCNTR are working with local school classrooms to encourage 5-2-1-0. "5-2-1-0 Healthy NH" is a statewide public education campaign to bring awareness to the daily guidelines for nutrition and physical activity. Its message is simple and clear and represents some of the most important steps families can take to prevent childhood obesity:

    5 Fruits and vegetablesÖmore matters! Eat fruits and vegetables at least 5 times a day. Limit 100% fruit juice.
    2 Cut screen time to 2 hours or less a day.
    1 Participate in at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.
    0 Restrict soda and sugar-sweetened sports and fruit drinks. Instead, drink water and 3-4 servings/day of fat-free/skim or 1% milk.

    Current CCNTR Regional school classrooms participating in the 5-2-1-0 lessons: Grades 1-4 at Paul Smith and Bessie Rowell Elementary Schools in Franklin.

    CCNTR Local School District Wellness Committees

    Local CCNTR regional school districts are working to promote wellness and HEAL priorities through these committees.

    CCNTR Healthy Heart for Life Make the Move/HEAL Partners
    Foundation for Healthy Communities, Tapply Thompson Community Center, Franklin Parks and Recreation, Casey Family Services, Pines Community Center, Tiny Twisters Child Care Center, Whole Child Center, Newfound School District, Franklin School District, Winnisquam School District, Andover Elementary/Middle School, Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties, LRGHealthcare, Choose Franklin, NH Food Bank UNH Cooperative Extension, Spaulding Youth Center, Franklin Asset Coalition, Winnipesaukee River Trail Association, Friends of the Northern Rail Trail in Merrimack County, Odell Park Centennial Project, TRIP Center

    The next CCNTR Health & Wellness Committee meeting will take place on March 18 from 1-3pm at Franklin Regional Hospital. For more information about the New Hampshire Healthy Eating Active Living Initiative, visit: www.healnh.org