H&W Updates
Updates
April
Update
Health and Wellness April 2024
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Spring is finally here and we have continued to have good luck with this mild winter! It is a wonderful time of year to see all the new growth popping up from the ground and our trees budding! Let it be an inspiration for us to get outside more and enjoy nature. I hope you are all continuing to do your walking especially when the weather is good. Do not forget to enter your hours under the GLOW.
The Health and Wellness Committee completed 20 Comfort Bags for the hospitals in March. They came out awesome and are so appreciated. Once again thank you to all who contributed.
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Hard to believe that we began our visit to the participants at Silverthorne for over a year now and they are so appreciative and welcoming to us. We visit once a month after our monthly meeting and do an activity for their patrons. Some of us also visit on other days also as we have found this to be so rewarding. We sometimes play games, read and try to do an activity with the participants. This month will be a Spring Theme and I welcome anyone who would like to join us. Maria’s ability to speak Italian has brought such a smile and so much joy to one of the residents. We have fun and have grown attached to this activity.
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Another project we will be completing for Silverthorne is the Clothing Protectors. As you can imagine it is difficult for some participants with physical limitations to eat and stay neat. I can relate to that also!!! I want to thank 4 women who volunteered to sew these bibs – Sandra Demers, Linda Simmons, Donna Mason and Shamim Calcuttawala. We could never achieve what we have without women stepping up to help.
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A new project for this year that we have had a bit of trouble getting off the ground is our Caregivers Project. Many of the women in our club are full time caregivers and we recognize that they often need support. We do so much in the community but we also need to be helping our sisters. We are looking for volunteers to assist in this project. Something as little as making a phone call to check in, dropping off a meal or just stopping in to visit can really make an impact in someone’s day. If you can help with this, please let me know @lmolchan@comcast.net.
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As always, I would hope that we will continue to support each other in any way we can. Wishing you al the best of health and happiness!
Happy Spring!
March 2024: The month of March will be a very busy time for all. We have 2 big holidays to celebrate (St Patrick’s Day and Easter). Our theme for our Silverthorne visit after our meeting on the 5th will be a St Patrick’s Day activity. Always so much fun and anyone who would like to join us is so welcome!
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The Health and Wellness Committee will be busy delivering Comfort Bags and working on getting Clothing Protectors made. We also plan to get our Caregivers Program rolling. Stay tuned!
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Looking up health issues this month, I found one we have not discussed before. National Sleep Awareness Month is observed in March! Adequate sleep is vital for overall health and well-being, yet many people struggle with sleep-related issues such as insomnia, sleep apnea, or restless leg syndrome. In March, organizations and healthcare professionals promote education on good sleep hygiene practices, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and ensuring a comfortable sleep environment. Fostering a greater understanding of the significance of quality sleep is so important. This month we encourage you to prioritize your sleep health for optimal physical and mental functioning. Sleep well!
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The Health and Wellness Committee wishes you all the best of health and happiness!
March
Update
February
Update
February, 2024: What a month January was! We have seen every kind of weather and lots of illnesses. A reminder to all to please take care with weather extremes and icy walkways and please stay home if you are not feeling well.
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The Health and Wellness Committee is excited to move forward into 2024 to reach out and improve the lives of others. During January, we presented donations to Silverthorne for their scholarship program, Up Reach, which provides financial support to those who may not be able to afford to otherwise, Therapeutics for their wonderful work supporting those with disabilities, and The NH Children Trust for their work with supporting families.
We continue to support Silverthorne through our volunteer work, and we have found that doing this brings us so much joy. Connie sure can dance! After our February meeting, we will do a Valentine's Day craft with the participants and would love some help!
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As of the end of January, we will complete and fill the toiletries portion of our comfort bags. Once again thank you all for your contributions! Your generosity is so appreciated. The plan for our February meeting is to put all the clothing articles together and the bags will be ready for us to donate to local hospitals for Sexual Assault patients and some to the Domestic Violence patients.
We will continue to work on our new Project, helping our fellow sisters who are full-time caregivers. We will keep everyone informed on this as we gather the information from the surveys.
February is heart health month, so please remember that your healthcare provider is your best resource as they know your medical history, but here are the recommended tips.
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Healthy Diet
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Manage Stress
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Regular exercise
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Know your family history
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Healthy weight
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Keep your regular checkups with your provider
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Do not smoke
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Limit Alcohol
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Control Diabetes
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We can have a healthy conversation about these tips at our February Meeting. Stay Safe!
January
Update
January, 2024: As we welcome this New Year, the Health and Wellness Committee is excited to meet all our resolutions to improve the lives of others.
A group of us visited Jeans’ Place in November, and we are excited to share this information with you at our upcoming meetings and we are adding this wonderful place to our Mental Health support.
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Our next Health and Wellness meeting is scheduled for January 22nd at 1 PM at the Kelly Library. We will bring all the donated toiletry items and fill those bags. We would love more people to join us, as many hands make less work. So, if you are interested, please feel free to join us.
We plan to assemble all the clothing items and complete the bags during our February meeting. These bags will be donated to local hospitals for Sexual Assault patients and some of the Domestic Violence patients.
We are in the depths of flu season, RSV, and Covid, so please be aware of your health risks and heed the advice of your primary care providers for vaccines.
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I wish you all the best in Health, Happiness and Joy. Happy New Year to all!
December
Update
December 2023: The Health and Wellness Committee continues to move forward with our mission to spread happiness during this holiday season. Many of us are going to Silverthorne for an hour or two every month to help this facility bring joy to the participants. Due to the closure of 3 adult care centers in NH, they are at maximum volume and can use our assistance. Please consider giving some time as you will receive more than you give. Some of us will also continue to do this after our general meeting so anyone who would like to participate, please join us.
The donations for the Comfort Bag Project are greatly appreciated and we should be all set. Some of the socks donated at the last meeting were added to this so we are looking good. The plan will be to put the bags together after the New Year.
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Some of our members will be touring a new mental health facility that provides housing for homeless clients and we will be excited to share the information at our upcoming meetings.
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Just a reminder to continue to do your walking for the GLOW Program. We encourage you to get together with a friend and enjoy the outdoors while we can. remember to add your hours on our website under the Health and Wellness section - GLOW.
Our committee will not meet during the month of December but will pick up again on Monday January 22nd from 1P – 3P at the Kelly Library in the Breen Conference Room. During the next 6 months we would love to have you join us if you are interested in helping us.
Just a reminder to all that we are entering Flu season, RSV season and unfortunately Covid is still around. At this time, we will be attending family gatherings and functions so please if you are ill be mindful of taking precautions. Please follow the advice of your primary care provider for vaccine information.
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The Health and Wellness Committee sends all our best wishes to our fellow sisters for a Very Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!
November
Update
November 2024: The Health and Wellness Committee is excited to come together for another year of health and happiness. As we plan for the year ahead, watch for opportunities to volunteer at Silverthorne for an hour or two every month to help this facility bring joy to the participants. Sheila Casey is taking the lead on developing a schedule, and please consider giving some time. We will also continue to do this after our general meeting until we have a schedule, so anyone who would like to participate, please join us.
November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. This progressive brain disease develops slowly but has a huge impact on those who are living with it, their families, and caregivers. The number of people living with Alzheimer's disease is growing. Therefore, our H&W Committee, in partnership with The Residents of Salem Woods, invites you to join us via Zoom to learn effective approaches to communicate and care for someone with dementia, as well as how to effectively connect with and engage your loved one. Presented by Amber Evans on November 13, 2-2:30 pm. RSVP by November 9 to Brittany Talbot, btalbot@residencesalemwoods.com, 603-890-0580
The donations for the Comfort Bag Project are greatly appreciated, and we only need a few more shampoos, conditioners, and soaps, and we should be all set. The plan will be to put the bags together after the New Year.
We have two new Mental Health Projects in the discussion phase, so be on the watch for more information.
Please continue to do your walking for the GLOW Program. We encourage you to get together with a friend and enjoy the outdoors while we can. We are not designating a day or time as everyone's schedules are different.
Our committee will meet monthly on Mondays from 1P – 3P at the Kelly Library in the Breen Conference Room. The dates for the next 6 months will be 10/23, 11/27, 1/22, 2/26 ,3/25 and 4/29. We would love to have you join us if you are interested in helping us.
We have donated to The Salem Caregivers Event, The Upper Room and Kulea so far this year. Lots planned for the coming year and will report monthly at the general meeting.
Just a reminder to all that we are entering Flu season, RSV season, and unfortunately, Covid is still around. Please follow the advice of your primary care provider for vaccine information.
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October
Update
October 2023: The Health and Wellness Committee is looking forward to another great year. Hard to believe that summer is over, but we did not lay idle and have planned for the year ahead. The committee still visited Silverthorne in July and September and as always it was great fun. Due to the success of our Club's monthly visits, Silverthorne has asked if we might be able to help in a new way, more often. Rather than a large group of our members going once a month, they are asking for volunteers to come, possibly just two at a time, any day of the month for one hour; either from 11:30-12:30 or 2-3pm. For more details call Sheila at 603-479-1553.
The last of the Comfort Care Bags were delivered to the Haverhill YWCA Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Staff. They were so appreciative and stressed the need. We will commit to doing this again this year.
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Our committee will meet on 4th Monday of the month from 1P – 3P at the Kelly Library in the Breen Conference Room. The dates for the next 6 moths will be 10/23, 11/27, 1/22, 2/26 and 3/25. We would love to have anyone join us if you are interested in helping us. We have a few things planned for the coming year and will report monthly at the general meeting.
Just a reminder to all that we are entering Flu season, RSV season and unfortunately Covid is still around. Please follow the advice of your primary care provider for vaccine information.
June
Update
June 2023: In support of Mental Health, the Salem Area Women’s Club sponsors an event that the Center for Life Management is holding on June 8th at the Atkinson Country Club. We have 14 members attending this event, and Ginger Zee from ABC Good Morning America and Chief Meteorologist-ABC will be the featured speaker. Four women will be able to attend a private reception with Ginger Zee. Their names were selected by a raffle at our Health and Wellness Meeting held on May 8th. The lucky women are: Maureen DiPalma, Marsha Roy, Cindy Hunzelman and Maureen Hanlon. We will also have a networking table at this event where we can highlight the SAWC.
We will visit Silverthorne Adult Care after our June meeting to do a fun summer project. We will take July and August off. Just a reminder as we enter summer.
With the great weather, there are a few things we definitely want to avoid. I am sure you have heard this a thousand times, but prevention is the best method of avoiding these issues.
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Sunburn—To avoid this, wear sunscreen and cover up when out in the sun for long periods of time. Applying sunscreen 20 minutes before going out is the best!
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Mosquito and tick bites – These little creatures carry blood borne illnesses that we fear. Wearing bug repellent is critical to keep these insects at bay. Remember that Ticks must be latched on to the body for 24 hrs. to transmit bacteria so removal asap is important. Disinfect the area with some rubbing alcohol and use some fine tweezers to remove the tick by grabbing as close to the head as possible and firmly pulling back. Do not twist as you remove. You never want to split the tick leaving the head in your skin. Once removed again apply rubbing alcohol to disinfect the area. If you develop a rash at the bite site, headache, fever and muscle soreness call your physician right away. Many physicians will prescribe prophylaxis with antibiotics if you suspect the tick was on you for a long period of time.
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Poison Ivy, Oak, Sumac – Rashes caused by these plants are due to an allergic reaction. If you are exposed to one of these and know you react you need to wash the area immediately to avoid the discomfort these rashes cause. The Health and Wellness Committee wishes you all a safe and happy summer!
April
Update
April 2023: Spring is almost here, and we have had good luck with this mild winter! The latest March storm was a reminder of what winter is usually like here in New England. My flowers are poking up already.
We began our visits to the participants at Silverthorne in March and they welcomed us to visit once a month and do an activity for their participants. We really had a great time there and Sheila, Maria and I did 3 activities with the participants who were very engaged. We played a game, read a story and colored shamrocks. Maria’s ability to speak Italian was so appreciated by one of the ladies and the smile she gave when listening to Maria was worth a thousand words. Thank you, Maria! I am hoping we can continue to do this every month after our meeting. The plan for April will be an Easter Theme. Connie has come up with a craft idea already and we will do another game to add some physical activity and we will read an Easter story. It really is a fun and rewarding experience. So, if anyone is interested, please let me know and plan to join us after the meeting on April 4th.
The walking Club has met with bad weather for the past few weeks, but we will continue to do group walks meeting at the rail trail near the parking lot of the Tuscan Kitchen Restaurant on Wednesday mornings at 9AM. We are open to walking in different areas also. If you are walking on your own, please document your hours on our website or send to me at lmolchan@comcast.net. The Health and Wellness Committee is having a meeting on March 27th at 1PM. We will meet at Centerpoint Church and will be discussing future projects. We welcome any ideas from our membership. This is your club and we want it to be representative of the women involved. Wishing you all good health and happiness and a very blessed Easter!
March 2023
Spring is around the corner, and I hope you are all enjoying this mild winter.
Prior to covid, SAWC had an ongoing Club Service Project wherein we would visit Silverthorne Adult Day Center in Salem each month, immediately following our monthly General Membership Meeting. We would like to reactivate this project, starting this month, Tuesday, March 7th. The purpose is to provide and execute an activity with the residents who attend Silverthorne and add some extra sunshine to their day. For March we'll do a St. Patrick's Day activity with them. It will be fun!! Right after our meeting, we will gather together, then drive to Silverthorne (23 Geremonty Drive, between Salem Town Hall and Boys & Girls Club). We'll be there until 3:30ish. We hope you'll join us for this fun and rewarding Service Project! Any further questions, email lmolchan@comcast.net
Way to GLOW Walking Club is a program by our Health & Wellness Committee. This is a great group or individual activity that all members can easily participate in. It is recommended that you only need to exercise 30 minutes a day to make a difference in your health. As a club we can do activities together like walk outside at a community trail, at the mall inside when weather is cold or rainy OR incorporate exercise into a meeting. Anyone who would prefer can walk inside your home for thirty minutes. Many of us walk on our own already so we are off to a great start! The Walking Club had its first walk on February 15th and it was lots of fun. We would like to continue to do group walks, meeting at the rail trail near the parking lot of the Tuscan Kitchen Restaurant. The plan is Wednesday mornings at 9am. We are open to walking in different areas also. If you are walking on your own, please document your hours on our website or send to me at lmolchan@comcast.net It's quick and easy to enter on our website: on home page click on 'What we do' tab > Health and Wellness > under 'Current Projects' click on 'Way to Glow!' button, then complete log.
Salem Area Women’s Club donates “comfort bags” for sexual assault victims. Connie and I delivered the Comfort Bags to Parkland Hospital, and they were very much appreciated. Thank you to all who have contributed to this project. The Bags going to Holy Family will be delivered in March. Pictured below are Pam of Parkland Hospital, Connie O’Connell of the Salem Area Women’s Club, and the comfort bags. Linda Molchan is taking the picture.
March
Update
February
Update
February 2023: We have been invited by the State Health and Wellness Community Service Program Chairman to participate in their “Way to GLOW“ Walking Club starting in January 2023. This can be a great group or individual activity that all members can easily participate in. It is recommended that you only need to exercise 30 minutes a day to make a difference in your health.
As a club we can do activities together like walk outside at a community trail, at the mall inside when weather is cold or rainy OR incorporate exercise into a meeting. Anyone who would prefer can walk inside your home for thirty minutes. Many of us walk on our own already so we are off to a great start!
Each Club will need a Club member to be a Walk Club Leader to schedule walks, document the Club members activities, hours and to report Club activities during 2023. I am looking for volunteers to take on this responsibility to schedule a group walk once a month. We can all take turns doing this. There will put a spot on our website to document your hours and I will be happy to submit totals to the state. If you are not using our website, you can email me your hours and I will include them. lmolchan@comcast.net This is a great way to get involved in a state activity and for us all to have some fun and improve our health. The following is directly from the State Chairman: “We are hoping for 100% participation! Let’s start 2023 off right with bees buzzing! We all could use a little more Glimmer and glow in our lives.”
January
Update
January 2023: December was a busy time and the Health and Wellness Committee completed 2 projects to support Sexual Assault Survivors and Domestic Violence Families.
The Sexual Assault Project was completed. This involved putting together Comfort Sacks that contained new clothing and toilet articles for women to use after medical exams in the Emergency Department Twenty Sacks have been completed to be given to 2 hospitals in the greater Salem NH Area. Club members have donated most of these items and it is through your generosity that this project has been successful.
The second project completed was supporting 4 families who are fleeing domestic violence. Many articles of clothing and household items were donated by club members and a 200 gift Card to Walmart was given to each family to use towards clothing, food needs, and hopefully a Christmas gift for the children. These items were given to the YWCA to distribute to the families as their locations are kept confidential. We thank club members for their generous support.
A new project will begin in 2023. The GFWC NH Health and Wellness Community Service Program Chairman is inviting all GFWC NH Clubs to participate in the “Way to Glow” Walking Club starting in January 2023. This can be done in groups or as individuals, and it is a great way to exercise and improve your health. We will discuss this at our next meeting, and I have ideas on how everyone can participate.
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