September Healthy Happenings in Carroll County

In the past month, there have been several health promotions events throughout Carroll County. A variety of agencies have worked together to make these events a success county-wide. The momentum from these events helps our community continue to make positive strides towards a healthy lifestyle.
The Carroll County Drive Thru Baby Shower on August 24th at the Carroll County Civic Center was a huge success. Over 40 families participated in the event. Participants received goodie bags from multiple agencies. Every participant received diapers and a children’s book.
Over 25 door prizes were handed out, including a changing table and baby bath. The event demonstrated the amazing number of resources available for new moms in Carroll County. There are plans to make this an annual event.
On August 31st, the Carroll County Prevention Coalition participated in International Overdose Awareness Day at the Discovery Park of American in Union City. Students from throughout the five school districts created paper chains that listed reasons why they will not do drugs. These paper chains were linked together with other chain links from across west Tennessee to raise awareness and reduce stigma for substance misuse. Substance Misuse is one of Carroll County Health Council’s top three health priorities.
If you have input on programs that you would like to see implemented in our community to address this priority, please contact Public Health Educator Robyn Hatler ([email protected]) or Prevention Coalition Coordinator Heather Foster ([email protected]). We want YOUR input!
Coordinated School Health, Carroll County Prevention Coalition and Carroll County Health Department hosted a lunch-and learn event for the teen health council members from schools throughout Carroll County on September 8th. Over 100 participants learned about the dangers of vaping and were able to tiedye a t-shirt that identified their specific reason for choosing not to vape. During this time, the teen health council members worked with their advisors to plan health awareness events and activities for the 2022-2023 school year.
On September 9th, in honor of Eliza Fletcher, Carroll County residents gathered at the Carroll County Courthouse in Huntingdon and the Farmers’ Market in McKenzie at 4:15 a.m. to “Finish Liza’s Run.” Fletcher was a Memphis resident who was abducted and murdered during an early morning run. The way the community united to honor an innocent life taken too soon was inspiring.
On September 19th, Bethel University hosted a mental health resource fair for their students to recognize Suicide Prevention Awareness month. Agencies from throughout Carroll County provided helpful resources for over 100 students. This event further demonstrated the strong support agencies throughout Carroll County provide for their community.
The Community Health Assessment (CHA) is continuing to progress. The top three health priorities for Carroll County are (1) Substance Misuse; (2) Mental Health/Frequent Mental Distress; (3) Healthy Weight. Subcommittees for each of these priorities have been created. These committee will work on implementing a 3-year action plan to address these concerns.
Once again, we would like YOUR input. If you have suggestions on programs that would help improve these issues, please contact Public Health Educator Robyn Hatler: [email protected] or 731-986-1990.
The Carroll County Health Council’s mission is to identify and prioritize current health issues and problems while continually working to promote, protect and improve the health of persons living in Carroll County. Their Facebook page Healthy Carroll County Facebook shares information about
health-related topics including 5Ks, food/commodity drives, sports events, outdoor activities and more. Please like/follow our page to be kept up-to-date.
If you would like to learn more about the Carroll County Health Council or have any questions about the information contained in this article, please contact Public Health Educator Robyn Hatler: [email protected] or call 731-986-1990.