"Community Matters" Special Guests:`````````````````````````````````````

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Sample program materials:

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Please see the wonderful info below:

Ms. Price posted a wonderful 15 minute presentation on the CDC's website related to an Indian River County community, Wabasso. The top community in infrastructure concerns are related to both public safety and public health. These were identified and addressed. Don't miss it!!

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Wabasso Presentation

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Indian River County - The Florida Department of Health's Indian River County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (IRCHD EHD) recently completed implementing PACE EH in the community called West Wabasso. This enclave of approximately 400 low income minorities is an island of poverty located in a very affluent county. In 2004, IRCHD EH started the PACE EH process with a grant of $30,000 from the FDOH. An environmental health assessment was conducted to discover what residents identified as issues of concern within their community. This was achieved by holding community meetings and going door-to-door to meet residents and solicit their input. The PACE EH Coordinator then worked with residents to develop action plans and facilitated the execution of each action plan in order to solve the issues. The top five environmental health issues identified in West Wabasso were: lack of housing, safety from drug trafficking, lack of street lighting, access to safe drinking water, and septic failures/lack of access to sewer. The end result of $1.5 million in improvements to the area was achieved successfully.

The community is 40% children who gather in the park, but seem to have no activities to keep them occupied in the community. This issue, along with drainage, failing septic systems, lack of bathrooms in the park, no bus route, crime, speeding four wheelers, substandard housing, and the general condition of the neighborhood are all common issues that residents identified are of concern to them.

The link below has items where the Sheriff's Deptartment is illustrated as a PACE partner:

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Setting the PACE

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"Do more than you think you can. Feel emotions more than you think you can bear. Live with a ferocious righteousness that others can observe. And in all things, practice compassion."

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Sample articles / letters:

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From a letter about a demoplished home:

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First .. find a problem:

some can not be saved a lot of junk don't think so some are in better shape many have to go heavy equipment may be needed a lot cleared the big wheels arrive level and ready to go saving a nice tree aaahhhh .. nothing like a BIG piece of equipment OK .. back it up .. pouring away .. Hey .. let's put a porch over here ! recognized by the Governor and by the Surgeon General

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But sometimes the work is one kid at a time ..