Sunrise Rotary gives grant to Dodgertown Elementary pilot program Be Healthy, Be Fit
L to R: Earldesha Crosdale, CPS Coordinator Family & Community Engagement; Gerrod Miller, CPS Director; Pam O’Donnell, Sunrise Rotary Club President; LaDonna Corbin, TCCH CPS Health and Wellness Coordinator; Elizabeth Thomason, TCCH Foundation Director
The Sunrise Rotary Club in Vero Beach has awarded a grant to Treasure Coast Community Health (TCCH) to deliver a new program to Dodgertown Elementary School Families. The pilot program, called “Be Healthy, Be Fit” focuses on increasing knowledge about the link between childhood obesity and early onset diabetes.
There will be nine sessions over the course of the school year allowing 108 families to participate.
TCCH Wellness Coordinator LaDonna Corbin and TCCH Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist and RN Colleen Symanski will work together with Chef Ed Fialkowski to develop a curriculum educating parents/guardians on pediatric diabetes risk factors and obesity prevention.
“We hope to incent parents to attend by offering several raffle items at each session,” said Corbin.
After completing the session, each family will leave with a grocery bag of delicious recipes, groceries from the food pantry, other supplemental groceries, educational materials, and measuring spoons and cups to help with portion sizes.
“Awareness, education and planning are critical in the prevention of diabetes,” said Colleen Symanski, RN. “Teaching good habits now will pay big dividends down the road. We’re here to show parents how to help their kids stay fit.”
During each 75-minute session, children will engage in a fun, healthy activity and enjoy a small meal provided by TCCH while parents taste test recipes developed by Chef Ed.
Sunrise Rotary President Pam O’Donnell shared, “Sunrise Rotary Club of Vero Beach is all about empowering the families in our community to live their best life possible. We strongly support this program provided to Dodgertown Elementary by TCCH because it will help to educate families on how to prepare nutritious, delicious, and cost-effective food. Sunrise Rotary looks forward to becoming part of the solution to help kids and their parents avoid obesity-related diseases such as diabetes.”
About TCCH
TCCH is a nonprofit, providing health care to all whether insured, underinsured or uninsured, and offers a sliding fee scale based on household income and family size. TCCH, Indian River County’s only Federally Qualified Health Center, has eight service locations throughout the county providing, medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services to all regardless of ability to pay. For more information about TCCH, visit www.tcchinc.org or call 772-257-8224.