By: Dean Johnson, Follow South Jersey Editor-in-Chief
SALEM, N.J. – Community members in Salem were able to learn more about local resources available to help with keeping their families healthy.
Partners in Parenting, hosted by ACENDA, took place at Fenwick Plaza on West Broadway Wednesday, August 21. Local organizations including Forman Acton Program, Gateway Community Action Partnership, WIC, Parents Inc., HeyMama Lactation and Perinatal Care, as well as Colgate sharing information on dental hygiene among others were there to inform the community about local health resources.
“We really push getting to know people in the community because especially in Salem County because you are siloed by either not knowing where the resources are, not knowing that resources are available,” event organizer Kirsten Connor, Community Alignment Specialist for Connecting New Jersey, said. “This is a way to showcase the resources.”
Connor said that she also wanted to get information from the families that come in, “Just to ask them what are you looking for, what is helpful, what is working, and get feedback as well.”
Connecting New Jersey is a nonprofit organization, funded through NJ Department of Children and Families, that helps connect local families to resources from prenatal care to developmental coaching, home visiting, housing resources, through ACENDA which is headquartered in Glassboro.
Beginning in June, 2023, the event was a first for Connecting New Jersey.
“We are a newer program,” Conner said, “ so we’re getting started getting a following, letting people know that we are here and who we are.
The Salem County Department of Health was also at the event to increase awareness on health screening information. They also offered health screens on the spot.
“We’re offering health screenings including blood pressure, blood sugar, and colesterol,” Heather Till, Assistant Nursing Supervisor in the Public Health Nursing Department, said. “We are also here to get lead information out and hopefully get some lead screenings done today.”
Chanelle Andrews, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant for HeyMamaLPC, had an abundance of information at her display.
“August is National Breastfeeding Month which encompasses a lot of different awareness weeks which includes Asian American Pacific Islander, Native American that focuses on indigenous families, and Black Breastfeeding week which is next week which specifically discusses the Black community and breastfeeding,” Andrews said.
HeyMama Lactation and Perinatal also gave a presentation on how to be a supportive partner and breastfeeding basics.
“We want to debunk the stigma of breastfeeding to put the focus on the main purpose of that part of our body, which is feeding the tiny humans, keeping them well nourished, keeping them happy, keeping them healthy.”
“People will leave with resources, activities, developmental screenings they can do with their kids, to activities that they can bring home, to make sure they stay connected,” Connor said.
For more information on Connecting New Jersey and ACENDA, click here.
For more information on the Salem County Department of Health, click here.
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