Having a baby is an exciting time – and then the excitement starts to hit your bank account. Those diapers, wipes, and baby food really add up! But, did you know that if you’re on a limited income, there are resources available that can provide some support? The WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Program is a part of our Public Health Department and provides nutritious foods to supplement a healthy diet. Unfortunately, there are some Mecklenburg County residents who could take advantage of these benefits but don’t know it! So, let’s debunk some of the misinformation out there.
Continue ReadingCategory: Health and Human Services
If you asked a government employee what industry they’re in, you might get an answer like “I work in the public sector.” But here in Mecklenburg County, we like to say something a little different. For us, we see ourselves as being in the “people business,” meaning that everything we do revolves around finding ways to improve the lives of the people who live and work here.
One group of people that our Community Support Services (CSS) staff works with on a daily basis is the homeless population. During our annual Point-in-Time Count in 2018, we found that 1,668 people were experiencing homelessness on the night of the count. And while the number of homeless persons has decreased by 16 percent from 2010 to 2018, there’s still a lot of work to do.
Take a look at some of the programs that our Homeless Services Division is involved in.
Continue ReadingThe holidays are coming and that means it’s time to indulge (or in some cases, overindulge – and I am speaking for myself here) in your favorite foods. The holidays are the only time of year when you can freely enjoy carbs and multiple servings of dessert without judgment or concern, because you know the extra pounds will magically disappear in January when you begin your new rigorous exercise routine – just like you promised in your New Year’s resolutions.
But before you begin creating those award-winning holiday dishes, remember to consider food safety, to keep your feast from turning into a flop ending in the nearest emergency room.
Sometimes our biggest challenge in local government is connecting the services we provide to the people who need them most. Unfortunately, our residents don’t always know what we have to offer.
This happens a lot with local veterans who are trying to work through the Veterans Affairs (VA) system to see what benefits they’re eligible for. Did you know we have a team of certified veterans services officers (many of whom are veterans themselves) that can help with that? Here are three reasons why you should recommend our Veterans Services division the next time you talk to someone who has served our country and is having trouble getting the benefits they earned.
Everyone, from your neighbor to the minivan-driving parent beside you in the school pick-up line, has an opinion about the flu shot. And more importantly, they’re not afraid to share it with you. The best protection against the flu virus is to get vaccinated in the fall. There is still a lot of misinformation about the flu and the flu shot out there.
Test your FLUency with our quick quiz!
by Hannah Stutts, Grant Coordinator, Mecklenburg County Public Health
I don’t know about you, but when I’m driving around Charlotte (or stuck in traffic) I soak up everything about our beautiful city. New construction is everywhere, colorful lights paint the skies of uptown, trees and flowers decorate the sidewalks and buses with vibrant ads fill the streets – that’s right, I think the buses are beautiful, too. Especially the 30 buses that are rolling around with this PrEP ad on them.
Another opioid related headline. News of another opioid related death. It almost seems never-ending. And just as my heart was beginning to heal from the devastation I felt after losing my musical icon Prince last April, the latest headline linking an exorbitant amount of Fentanyl to his death, reopened the wound yet again. Another loss due to an opioid addiction.
According to the Mecklenburg County Public Health Department, there were 121 opioid overdose deaths in 2016, that’s up from 61 in the previous year. That’s an alarming figure – all tied to one class of drugs. And while the data is alarming, it’s difficult to comprehend the impact the epidemic is having without examining all the facets of a community that the addiction tends to affect.
You can’t turn on the news or look at social media lately without seeing something about the opioid epidemic – deaths are on the rise nationwide, and Mecklenburg County isn’t immune. Over the last ten years, opioid-related deaths in the County have increased by 134 percent – from 26 in 2005 to 61 in 2015.
There are an endless number of possibilities when it comes to the ways you can “give back.” For some, it is volunteering with schools, helping the homeless, or working with animal shelters. For others, it is in the form of a donation to a charity or organization that is close to heart. But then there is another opportunity that the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services is involved with every day – helping local children find safe, secure, and loving homes.
In case you haven’t heard, we’re in the middle of flu season (it runs October – May each year). According to the State Health Department, the flu is widespread in our state and probably hasn’t peaked yet for the season.
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