CPC group hears Extension’s county-wide survey results
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Liletta Jenkins with the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, left, presents “SHORT’s Feelings” booklets and items to Marty Rittmann with the Coosa County Children’s Policy Council. Photo by Christa Jennings
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
During its meeting last Tuesday afternoon, the Coosa County Children’s Policy Council heard from County Extension Coordinator Dr. Shannon Davis regarding the results of the county’s needs-based survey conducted by the Extension office.
While no elected officials were present for the meeting, agencies represented by the group’s 19 attendees included the Alabama Department of Public Health, AltaPointe Health, the Coosa County Extension Office, Children’s Rehab Services of Montgomery, Alabama Extension, SafeHouse, juvenile probation, Parents as Teachers, and Judge Carlton Teel’s office.
Davis, guest speaker for the May meeting, presented attendees with copies of the needs-based survey results and reviewed information with a summary of the survey data. The countywide survey was conducted during April.
Coosa County had 233 participants in the study, with 73% or 135 of the participants being female and 27% or 51 of them being male. The ages ranged from 18 to 85 years or older, with the majority of participants ranging from 35 to 65 years old.
Of those who participated, 85% were Caucasian, 9% African American, 2% Hispanic/Latino, and 3% two or more races.
The majority of those who took the survey live in the Rockford area, which accounted for 37% of participants. The next highest location for participation was Stewartville, with 10% of participants residing in that community.
Additionally, the majority of participants, 33%, indicated that they are lifetime residents of the county, with 22% of participants indicating they have lived in the county for 21-35 years.
In reviewing the survey findings with the CPC group, Davis stated that Coosa County is classified as a food desert according to current USDA criteria. The factors used by the USDA to qualify an area as a food desert were used as questions to better understand county residents’ access to fresh whole foods, as well as the type of food preferences.
Davis shared that 56% of survey participants reported that they have to drive more than 10 miles to buy fresh vegetables, fruits, or wholesome foods. However, 44% of the participants do not have to drive more than 10 miles to buy fast foods or quick stop foods such as from a gas station or Dollar General.
As such, Davis said that the finding suggests that Coosa residents are consuming a diet heavily comprised of high salt, sugar, fat, and processed foods, which are considered to be energy dense and nutrient poor. She said this type of diet can lead to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
However, she pointed out that 84% of survey respondents reported they would “rather buy affordable fresh, whole foods,” and 51% reported that “foods they can cook at home” is a top three factor impacting their food choices.
Regarding the most important community services, Davis reported that while 78% of participants indicated that access to fresh whole foods is most important to them, it was followed by 63% who reported that an “accessible and affordable health services center” was most important to them. Further, 72% of participants ranked access to quality health services as “very to extremely important.”
Regarding public safety, while overall participants reported feeling safe within their own homes and in public in the town where they live, 9% reported not feeling safe in their home, and 7% reported not feeling safe in public. Additionally, 86% reported that having a local preparedness plan is “very to extremely” important to them.
Taking into account the survey results regarding health services, as well as public safety, Davis also presented the CPC meeting attendees with information regarding a proposed mobile victim’s services and healthcare unit program for the county.
The purpose of the proposed program would be to “assist in meeting a dire county-wide need for access to quality healthcare, victim’s services and health/wellness information.”
If implemented, the program would provide the county with a mobile victim’s services/health unit, as well as a system of tele-health station carts around the county.
In reviewing information regarding the program and its possibilities, Davis explained that the tele-health system would allow patients to have direct access to physicians and nurse practitioners via remote access appointments.
Davis said that grants are available to help support the program. She stated that she would like to put together a subcommittee to move forward with further planning for the program.
In other business at the meeting, Patricia Self with AltaPointe gave an update on the Steppin’ up for Mental Health event held in Sylacauga May 4 and reported that she was pleased with the event, saying that there was good participation and that she thought it went pretty well.
She said that they are looking at possibly expanding to Coosa County and including it in the Steppin’ Up initiative in the future, adding that possibly next year such an event could be held in Coosa County.
Liletta Jenkins with the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education stated that she appreciated what AltaPointe and the Steppin’ Up initiative were doing, mentioning the importance of it and that there is “a big stigma” around mental health, adding that some who need it will not get it because of the stigma.
Regarding upcoming outreach events and opportunities, Self shared that Rockford’s Spring Fling will be held June 1 at the town’s playground and Nixburg Road for any agencies wishing to attend to share information.
In other business at the meeting, relating to May being Mental Health Awareness Month, Jenkins presented the Coosa County Children’s Policy Council with a SHORT the Squirrel tote bag, plush and 50 “SHORT’s Feelings” booklets with packs of crayons for youth in the county.
The presentation was made through the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education’s partnership with SHORT the Squirrel, with Jenkins saying booklets were being provided and presented to Children’s Policy councils throughout the state. She said that Coosa would be getting a total of 150 book packets, provided in three increments of 50.
To learn more about SHORT the Squirrel and the literacy program, visit www.shortthesquirrel.com.
The next regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Children’s Policy Council will be held June 11 at 12 p.m. at the Coosa County Department of Human Resources.
