Small Steps Make A Big Difference

This is the complete text of the letter I sent to Explore Howard/Baltimore Sun in support of the Horizon Foundation's HoCo Unsweetened initiative:

I have been following the Horizon Foundation's HoCo Unsweetened initiative since its inception. As a parent and teacher, I see daily evidence of how sugary drinks affect children and adults. I have serious reservations about high fructose corn syrup, a staple in these highly-advertised beverages. I applaud the Horizon Foundation's willingness to stand up to "Big Soda" and champion our kids.

All summer long, I have been following HoCo Unsweetened through social media as they dispatched road teams to many outdoor venues to educate parents and children about Better Beverages. Their recent video, "Burp Better", was a delightful and pointed culmination of that work. Not a cute publicity stunt, it was an engaging way to highlight the many hours of public education that have already taken place in our own community and nearby.

One of the beauties of public health initiatives is that something quite small can have huge benefits. Oral rehydration salts have saved countless lives in counteracting the devastating effects of diarrheal diseases. More recently, fortified peanut butter packets stop the progressive decline of starvation. Small steps, but significantly beneficial. Public health professionals look at many problems, many needs. The challenge is to to pick and commit to something that can be accomplished. This is precisely what the Horizon Foundation has done.

It is not the role of public health to be provincial. Helping the residents of Howard County may very well require outreach outside of its boundaries. In the same way, our award-winning HoCo Library system plans programs to meet specific needs of county residents while reaching out to participate, learn, and share with others across the nation. Reaching out and connecting is an excellent investment for our county's citizens.

When it comes to healthy choices, HoCo Unsweetened is helping us broaden our horizons.

hocoblogs@@@

Posted with Blogsy

Comments

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents. When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

F ³: Who Belongs at the Library?

One of these things is not like the others One of these things doesn't belong Can you tell which thing is not like the other By the time we finish our song?* Did you guess which thing is not like the others? Did you guess which thing doesn't belong? If you guessed this thing is not like the others Then you're absolutely right. Our library promotes equity. Our library promotes literacy for adults who have come here from many places. Our library promotes accessibility to materials and opportunities. Our library is hosting multiple Harry Potter themed events? Tell me this isn’t so. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, has and continues to use the profits from those books to advocate for laws that diminish the rights of trans people. She has and continues to use her fame to influence public opinion to view and treat trans people negatively. In short, Ms. Rowling is using the Harry Potter book series to make transgender people around the world less safe....

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog