Don’t miss the WIC Farmers Market August 11-12 outside the Health Department 1108 SW 4th Street in Ontario.
Get your WIC Farm Direct checks! If you are current on WIC, you may be eligible to receive $28 worth of WIC Farm Direct checks to use with local farmers at the Farmers Market or their farm stands.
Interested in WIC?
Do you live in Oregon?
Are you pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding woman or a child under 5 years old?
Are you receiving TANF, SNAP or the Oregon Health Plan or meet WIC income guidelines? Call Malheur County WIC at (541)889-7279 to make an appointment!
The holidays are here, which means you’re probably getting ready to share meals and merriment with families and friends.
This can be a fantastic and yummy time of the year. But if you don’t take care while preparing all that delicious holiday food, you can put people at risk for food poisoning.
Anyone can get sick from food poisoning, but some folks are at higher risk. Kids under age 5, seniors and women who are pregnant are all more likely to get sick from food and have a serious illness.
Luckily, preventing food poisoning can be easy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has these tips to help home chefs create safe Thanksgiving meals:
• Wash your hands often while cooking. Use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds. Dry your hands on a clean paper towel, not a dirty apron or towel. • Prevent cross-contamination. Clean surfaces as you go, including sinks and counters. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for meat and other food. That way, you won’t end up with raw turkey juice in your salad. (Blech!) • Cook the turkey to 165 degrees. Use a food thermometer to check it’s done, and never rely on those cheap pop-up ones that come with the turkey. • Follow the two-hour rule. If all your food hasn’t been gobbled up two hours after you’ve set it out on the table, it’s time to wrap it up and stick it in the fridge. Any leftovers that are perishable should be eaten or frozen within three to four days.
For more seasonal food prep tips, check out FoodSafety.gov.
If you have questions while cooking your turkey, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline. Have a happy, healthy holiday!
The Malheur County Health Department (MCHD) provides compassionate, high quality care for all people in Malheur County, including LGBTQIA+ individuals. We are proud to offer many services for the health and well-being of our community, including:
Rapid HIV testing, referral, and case coordination
Sexually Transmitted Infections testing and treatment
Communicable disease testing and case coordination, including tuberculosis and hepatitis
Wide range of birth control options
Immunizations, including HPV for all genders ages 9-26
Home Visiting programs for parents with children age 5 and under
Pregnancy testing and counseling
Tobacco prevention and education
Birth and death certificates, available within 6 months of event
WIC nutrition program for qualifying families with children age 5 and under
We are a community of all sexual orientations and
gender identities and have a variety of health needs. MCHD serves all people
regardless of ability to pay, with a few low-cost exceptions. No one will be
denied services based on immigration status, sex, gender identity, sexual
orientation, race, nationality, or religious affiliation. MCHD also accepts
Medicare, Medicaid, and most private health insurance. If you do not have
insurance, we have staff who can help you sign up for the Oregon Health Plan or
determine your eligibility for other assistance programs.
All services are confidential and open to all ages. Call 541-889-7279 to make an appointment. Walk ins welcome. Se habla Español.
Some LGBT youth are more likely than their heterosexual peers to experience negative health and life outcomes. It is important that at-risk LGBT youth have access to resources and support to deal with the questions and challenges they may face as they mature.
Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Teens: Facts for Teens and Their Parents If you’ve ever wondered if you’re gay, lesbian, or bisexual, you’re not alone. Many teens ask themselves this question. For parents and caregivers, finding out your son or daughter is gay, lesbian, or bisexual can be difficult. Learn more.
Genders & Sexualities Alliance Network A GSA club is a student-run club in a high school or middle school that brings together LGBTQI+ and straight students to support each other.
It Gets Better Project The It Gets Better Project reminds teenagers in the LGBT community that they are not alone and it will get better.
Q Card Project The Q Card is a simple and easy-to-use communication tool designed to empower LGBTQ youth to become actively engaged in their health, and to support the people who provide their care.
StopBullying.gov: Information for LGBT Youth Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) youth and those perceived as LGBT are at an increased risk of being bullied. There are important and unique considerations for strategies to prevent and address bullying of LGBT youth.
The Trevor Project: Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention The Trevor Project is a national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
Resources for Educators and School Administrators
Because some LGBT youth are more likely than their heterosexual peers to experience bullying or other aggression in school, it is important that educators, counselors, and school administrators have access to resources and support to create a safe, healthy learning environment for all students.
Advocates for Youth (AFY): LGBTQ Resources for Professionals Lesson plans, tips and strategies, background information, and additional resources to help youth-serving professionals create safe space for young people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
American Psychological Association (APA) Resources
Healthy Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Students Project The Safe and Supportive Schools Project promotes safe and supportive environments to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among adolescents.
National Alliance to End Homelessness: Serving LGBT Homeless Youth To end LGBT youth homelessness, youth and young adults need stable housing, supportive connections to caring adults, and access to mainstream services that will place them on a path to long-term success.
National Education Association: Bullying Prevention Resources Educators know that that every student deserves a safe, welcoming, affirming learning environment. In fact, research shows that learning is stunted when the need to feel safe and respected is not met.
StopBullying.gov: Information for Educators and Other School Professionals Schools are a place where bullying can happen. Helping to establish a supportive and safe school climate where all students are accepted and knowing how to respond when bullying happens are key to making sure all students are able to learn and grow.
The Trevor Project: Education and Resources for Adults The Trevor Project’s “Trainings for Professionals” include in-person Ally and CARE trainings designed for adults who work with youth. These trainings help counselors, educators, administrators, school nurses, and social workers discuss LGBTQ-competent suicide prevention.
Resources for Parents, Guardians, and Family Members
Some LGBT youth are more likely than their heterosexual peers to experience negative health and life outcomes, so it is critical for the parents, guardians, and other family members of LGBT youth to have access to the resources they need to ensure their LGBT children are protected and supported.
Electronic Aggression Increased access to technology has benefits, but it also increases the risk of abuse. Learn more.
The Family Acceptance Project The Family Acceptance Project is a research, intervention, education, and policy initiative that works to prevent health and mental health risks for LGBT children and youth.
Helping Families to Support Their LGBT Children This resource guide was developed to help practitioners who work in a wide range of settings to understand the critical role of family acceptance and rejection in contributing to the health and well-being of adolescents who identify as LGBT.
KidsHealth.org: Sexual Attraction and Orientation Information for parents on how youth experience sexual attraction and orientation, as well as how you as a parent or guardian may feel about and deal with youth on this topic.
StopBullying.gov: Information for Parents Parents play a key role in preventing and responding to bullying. If you know or suspect that your child is involved in bullying, here are several resources that may help.
One of the most pressing unmet challenges for preventing and controlling epidemic obesity is ensuring that socially disadvantaged populations benefit from relevant public health interventions. Obesity levels are disproportionately high in ethnic minority, low-income, and other socially marginalized US population groups. Current policy, systems, and environmental change interventions target obesity promoting aspects of physical, economic, social, and information environments but do not necessarily account for inequities in environmental contexts and, therefore, may perpetuate disparities.
In THIS ARTICLE recently published in the American Journal of Public Health, Shiriki K. Kumanyika, PhD, MPHI, proposes a framework to guide practitioners and researchers in public health and other fields that contribute to obesity prevention in identifying ways to give greater priority to equity issues when undertaking policy, systems, and environmental change strategies. The core argument is that these approaches to improving options for healthy eating and physical activity should be linked to strategies that account for or directly address social determinants of health. Kumanyika provides research and practice examples of its use in the US context. The approach may also apply to other health problems and in countries where similar inequities are observed.
Source: Am J Public Health. Shiriki K. Kumanyika. Published online ahead of print August 15, 2019: e1–e8. doi:10. 2105/AJPH.2019.305221
Our vision at WIC is to ensure optimal nutrition and lifelong health for every Oregon family. Locally, we are here to protect and promote the health of families in Malheur County.
Find out more about how the WIC Program improves the health of families, communities, and economy by reading the 2018 Annual Malheur WIC Report.
Find out how WIC can help you and your family. If you are pregnant or have a child 5 years or younger, you may qualify for free nutrition counseling, breastfeeding support, and supplemental foods. Call the Malheur County Health Department’s WIC line directly at 541-889-7041.
