Give the Gift of Health Education
Dear Poe Center Supporter:
The Poe Center is a non-profit organization that provides comprehensive programs and resources for healthy lifestyle education for all youth in North Carolina. The Poe Center specializes in developing programs for youth to address childhood obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy food choices, tooth decay, tobacco use, drug and alcohol abuse, unintentional injury and teen pregnancy.
The following statistics are more than mere numbers; they can impact both and individual’s quality of life and have tremendous negative economic affect.
- It is estimated that the cost of unhealthy lifestyles, including lack of physical activity and inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetables, cost North Carolina $24.1 billion per year.
- Total annual health care costs in North Carolina directly caused by smoking are estimated at $2.46 billion.
- In 2004, the cost of teen pregnancy in North Carolina was $312 million. North Carolina is consistently ranked ninth in the nation for teen pregnancy rates.
- More than 350,000 Americans are hospitalized each year and 5,000 die from preventable food borne illness. (reported in USA Today, March 24)
Your help is critical! Through your support, the Poe Center can continue to make this vital health education programming available to youth across our state.
To be able to provide these valuable programs for all youth in North Carolina, the Poe Center must keep admission fees low. The Poe Center charges only $6 per student; however, it costs the Poe Center $15 per student to deliver our health education programs. In an effort to keep program costs affordable, the rest of the Poe Center budget must be raised from friends like you. We need your support now more than ever!
This year the Poe Center is pleased to offer our holiday giving package:
- “Give the Gift of Health Education” is the Poe Center’s new campaign to provide health education to children and youth in North Carolina.
- For every $15 you give a child will have the opportunity to attend a Poe Center’s health education program and a “Poe Child” will be placed on our holiday tree.
- An acknowledgement card will be sent to the individual or family you honor or memorize.
- In addition, we will place their name in our Virtual Honor or Memory Books on the Poe Center’s website.
Please consider making a donation to the Poe Center. Your contribution will allow us to continue to provide quality programs to youth that will enable them to make healthy choices and lead healthy lives. Thank you for taking time to consider a gift of health education for N.C. children.
On behalf of the Poe Center Board and Staff we wish you a happy holiday season and best health in 2011.
Regards,
Ann Rollins
Executive Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Innovative Teaching Methods Go Global
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Kate Mascho, 919.231.4006 ext. 399 or Natalie Best, 919.277.1173, [email protected]
Innovative Teaching Methods Go Global
Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education teams up with Community Connections Program
Raleigh, NC (December 9, 2010) - Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education will host a group of professionals from Tatarstan, Russia on December 14 as part of the United States Agency for International Development’s Community Connections program. The group is made up of representatives from non-governmental, governmental, and media sectors involved in promoting healthy lifestyles. Their 22-day U.S. visit is aimed at learning about a broad range of successful healthy lifestyle campaigns.
During their visit to the Poe Center, the group will hear about various health education programs the center provides for children and youth promoting positive lifestyle choices. They will observe a 4th grade class program called “Food for Thought,” learning about the food pyramid, how media influences food choices, body types and healthy diets. They will also hear about other educational methods the Poe Center uses, as well as tour the Poe Center facility which is visited by over 42,000 youth annually.
“Since opening in 1991, the Poe Center’s mission has been to educate and empower our youth to improve health behaviors,” stated Ann Rollins, Executive Director of the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education. “We’ve been successfully using innovative teaching theaters, exhibits and off-site programs, and hope that the group from Tatarstan will be able to integrate various aspects of our novel methods within their own creative health education endeavors in Russia.”
Healthy lifestyles have been a struggle for those in Tatarstan. The Republic of Tatarstan named 2009 as the year of Sport and Healthy Lifestyles as a campaign to strengthen public health, healthy lifestyles and physical activity among youth. However, the campaign was not strong enough. Tatarstan still struggles with HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and a negative population growth. The Community Connections program will cover these issues so the professionals will have the inspiration and skills to initiate effective healthy lifestyle campaigns upon their return to Russia.
About Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education: The Poe Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to positively impacting the lives of North Carolina youth through health education. Since opening in Raleigh in 1991, the Poe Center has educated more than 850,000 participants from 74 counties using innovative teaching theaters, exhibits and offsite programs. For additional information or to schedule a visit, go to www.poehealth.org.
Poe Center-Pampered Chef Fundraiser
Please support the Poe Center for Health Education. We are raising money to support health education for youth across NC. Shop with Pampered Chef this holiday and 10-15% of your purchase will go directly to the Poe Center!
Pampered Chef ships to all 50 states so you can collect orders from family and friends across the country (and on overseas military bases). The easiest way to collect money is online through the website www.pamperedchef.biz/jahanpaleja (Instructions on how to shop online are detailed below).
What do you get?
High quality products
Sense of pride helping our kids education
1 year no questions asked return policy
2 year, 5 year or lifetime warranty on most products
AND - Free Dessert Sauce with $60 order ($10 value)
There are 2 easy ways to order.
1.) Call Pampered Chef consultant Jahan Paleja if you would like to view a catalog or
2.) you can order directly online following the directions below:
a. Visit http://www.pamperedchef.biz/jahanpaleja
b. Press “Shop Online” on top right hand corner of screen
c. On next screen fill in organization name Poe Center and then click “Search for Host”.
d. Click on product category and press on selection and follow ordering instructions.
e. On customer address screen….please fill in as follows:
• Customer First and Last Name
• In address box type Customer’s Home Address or the address where you would like the items to
be shipped. Please do NOT ship any items to the Poe Center.
f. Proceed with payment information as requested to complete your order (Pampered Chef accepts
Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express)
You may contact our consultant, Jahan Paleja, directly to get more information or for any questions, call (910) 527-7051 or email: [email protected]
Thank you for supporting the Poe Center for Health Education!
--
Jahan Onica Paleja
Pampered Chef
Team Leader # 591211
www.pamperedchef.biz/jahanpaleja
Wake County PTA Council Healthy Lifestyles 5K Race
The Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education was one of the sponsors of the 2010 Wake County PTA Council Healthy Lifestyles 5K Race on Sunday, November 21st benefiting Wake County PTA Council, which supports PTA units at schools throughout Wake County. This year there were over 600 runners of all ages at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC. New this year, the PTA Council awarded the over-all school with the most registered participants with a cash prize for Healthy Lifestyle funding at their school. Additionally, the single elementary, single middle school and single high school with the most registered participants won Healthy Lifestyle funding from the Wake PTA Council.
TRU Campaign
Destini Donaldson from Parkland High School is the centerpiece of the TRU Campaign's newest public service announcement. While Destini has never smoked, Bob Buckley shows us how she speaks with so much authority to those who do smoke.
Destini's story is one of two stories featured in the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund's new TRU campaign. See the ads featuring Destini as well as ads featuring Justin at this website. http://www.realityunfiltered.com/TRUtv.aspx
Those who may be inspired to quit tobacco use can get free coaching by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
Tony Gwynn suspects his cancer comes from chewing tobacco
Tony Gwynn suspects his cancer comes from chewing tobacoo
Click here to read more
1-800-QUIT-NOW connects you to your own Quit Coach – someone who knows what works when you’re ready to quit for good. Your Quit Coach will help you create a plan for quitting and give you the support to stick to it. QuitlineNC is available 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. It’s free, and it works. Call it quits. 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1.800.784.8669)
Dental Health Day - Thursday, August 12th, 2010
The Poe Center had the honor of collaborating with Wake Health Services at their Pediatric Dental Clinic on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh NC to help celebrate National Health Center Week. On Thursday, August 12, 2010 Health Educators from the Poe Center, along with Sheriff Tuffy Tooth (a four-foot animated talking tooth) and his sidekick Bucky (a horse puppet) entertained visitors all day with games and instruction on proper tooth brushing, healthy food choices and the importance of regular dental visits. It was a fun-filled day promoting Dental Health to enthusiastic children and their families. All participants also received “Healthy Teeth Goody Bags.”
Health Education Center: Poe Center for Health Education, Raleigh NC
I had just moved to Raleigh, NC from Pennsylvania when I was shopping at Whole Foods Market and saw a brochure about the Poe Center for Health Education from a fundraiser that they had just completed at the store. When I read it, I got so excited that there was actually a Health Education Center doing a work that I was already so passionate about. When I got home I immediately checked out the website. Wow! What an amazing mission and vision, so I knew I wanted to be a part of this program. When I noticed there was an employment opportunity I emailed my resume. I scheduled an interview and was able to meet the amazing and dynamic team of people who lead the Poe Center. I was so impressed with the people and their passion for their work. While touring the facility I remember thinking that every community needs a Health Education Center like this and what a blessing it was to have 20 minutes away from my home. I have been working part time at the Poe Center since March of this year and have loved every minute of it! The work is so fun and rewarding and I actually get paid for doing something that I absolutely love! The experience has been an answer to my prayers in so many ways. Everyone needs to make it a point to check out the Center and consider supporting their work!
Dana Orr, BS, MBA, Part Time Health Educator
Poe Center’s Health Wise participants attend grocery store tour in Zebulon
Health Wise participants attend grocery store tour in Zebulon, NC
By: Shannon Grainger and Ashton Mudd
In a community known by its citizens and the residents of surrounding areas as “the town of friendly people”, the local Food Lion in Zebulon, NC is living proof of the appropriateness of that phrase. On Friday, May 28th, thirteen members of the Health Wise class visited the Food Lion in Zebulon. The goal of the tour was to apply the nutrition lessons being taught in Health Wise which is lead by Poe Center for Health Education program manager and registered dietitian, Natalie Taft, RD, LDN.
Health Wise is a comprehensive education program to promote healthy aging for older adults through the Zebulon Community Center. The 7-week series consists of 14 educational sessions designed to address issues important to older adults, such as nutrition, physical activity, meal planning, chronic disease awareness and prevention, communicating with healthcare providers and brain fitness. Participants will inspire friends, family and fellow community members to adopt healthier lifestyle habits. The Poe Center is proud to offer Health Wise and other health education programs with support from Wake County Human Services in collaboration with the Town of Zebulon Parks and Recreation Department.
Click here for full article
Poe Center's Healthy Habits Summer Camp
The Poe Center’s Healthy Habits camp promotes nutrition and physical activity through hands on experiences and interactive learning. Week long sessions were attended by youth ages 5-11 and a great time was had by all. Each day of the week explored a different area of health education. Nutrition, physical education, dental health, summer safety, and germ awareness were our five themes. Children enjoyed two meals a day as well as two healthy snacks. Each day campers visited our PlayWell Park playground, played LOTS of games, attended interactive, age appropriate classes, and followed along to exercise videos. A favorite activity of all campers was Freeze dance time. Crafts included apron decorating, life-sized body murals, and skeleton t-shirts.
The week culminated with a parent program in which campers were able to demonstrate some of the knowledge they had learned during camp. Daily parent newsletters were also sent home to reinforce information that was covered each day.
We definitely feel that Poe Center made a difference in each child’s life and helped all campers with future and present healthy living choices.