Working on Wellness Environments
Working on Wellness Environments (WOW-E) is a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension multidisciplinary community development program

Agent Spotlight: Ashley Gastineau

by

Photo of Webb County Family and Consumer Health Agent, Ashley Gastineau

Ashley Gastineau has been with Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program for three years. She is a Family & Community Health (FCH) agent for Webb County. From the time Ashley was in college, she knew whatever career path she chose, she wanted to help others and after taking a Nutrition course as an elective, she knew she wanted to provide health education. Ashley began her career with Prairie View Extension as a Better Living for Texans (BLT) Program Assistant. Through her initial work on BLT, she saw the need and benefit of serving the underserved community. Because of that early experience, she knew she wanted to continue that throughout her career.

Ashley’s favorite part of her job is that her work allows her to reach multiple generations. She teaches and provides programs on various topics such as nutrition, mental health, finances, parenting skills, and food safety. This flexibility allows her to reach people of all age levels and help them improve their quality of life.

For Ashley’s Policy, System, and Environment efforts, she says marketing and networking are really important. The Webb County Cooperative Extension Coalition she works with is one crucial component of connecting the right people to programs and initiatives throughout Webb County. The coalition members are key as well as their partners outside of the coalition. Many organizations in Webb County are already working to make Policy, System, and Environment changes. By networking and working together Webb County can make these changes.

While the coalition cannot meet in person during COVID-19, the support of the coalition is still there. Ashley says the coalition has grown even stronger during COVID-19. Meeting online allows them to meet more often than when the meetings are held in person. Everyone has to adjust their service offerings during COVID-19. The coalition members have been able to help each other make this adjustment and share ideas and information.

Ashley is excited for Webb County to continue working with the WoW-E program. She is proud of the initiative coalition members and youth groups she works with have shown to lead WoW-E initiatives throughout the community. One possibility she is particularly excited about is the prospect of making the community more walkable. While many in the community would like to walk more, there are areas where Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design efforts could make the area safer and, therefore, more walkable.

Ashley recently received a Texas Extension Specialist Association award for being an outstanding FCH/Community Development agent. When talking to her, the passion and love she has for her job is clear in her words and how she speaks. Ashley is a key contributor to the WoW-E team. We look forward to continuing to work with her and the coalition on Policy, System, and Environment efforts in Webb County.

WoW-E COVID-19 Update

by

Protect yourself and your community from COVID-19

By: Kelsey Coats

In light of COVID-19, WoW-E will be highlighting relevant COVID-19 resources this week.

Texas A&M Agrilife Extension is continually giving COVID-19 updates. There are resources on physical and mental health as well as how to best protect yourself financially. Click here for Texas A&M Agrilife Extension’s information and resources.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is continually giving national updates on COVID-19. They let you know how to protect yourself and what to do if you think you are sick. They have information on symptoms, older adults and medical conditions, and how to prepare your family. They also have community resources on travel, school and childcare, businesses and employers, and community and faith-based organizations. For national COVID-19 updates and resources, click here to learn more.

The WoW-E Team is not traveling until further notice. We are continuing to provide technical assistance remotely. Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns. Check our blog and social media for more COVID-19 resources.

February is Heart Month

by

This month marks the 56th consecutive heart month initiative. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. The initiative promotes the importance of heart health and the need for more research, with a reminder to get everyone involved. Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke combined) kills about 2,300 a day. Obesity in both youth and adults is at an all-time high. The American Heart Association wants you to consider these facts:

  • Heart disease kills more people than all forms of cancer combined
  • Heart attacks affect more people every year than the population of Dallas, Texas.
  • 83% believe that heart attacks can be prevented but aren’t motivated to do anything.
  • 72% of Americans don’t consider themselves at risk for heat disease.
  • And 58% put no effort into improving their heart health.

While there have been advances in medicine, the AHA says unhealthy lifestyle choices combined with rising obesity rates in both kids and adults have hindered progress fighting heart disease.

“The good news is that heart disease is preventable in most cases with healthy choices, which include not smoking, maintaing a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar and cholestrol, treating high blood pressure, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intesity physical activity a week and getting regular checkups.”

Working on Wellness Environments- Texas A&M Agrilife Extension is joining these efforts by promoting healthy foods and physical activity, supporting and providing technical assistance for the creation of local food systems, and working with local communities to create walkable downtowns and connecting safe, accessible areas to everyday destinations.

Tomorrow, February 7th, is National Wear Red Day! Go red for the awareness and prevention of heart disease. For more information, visit goredforwomen.org

Thanks to Dr. Jenna Anding for the resources!

Nationwide Launch of CDC’s Active People, Healthy Nation Initiative

by

Today, CDC released new maps that highlight geographic and racial/ethnic disparities in physical inactivity in the U.S. State and territory-level estimates of physical inactivity range from 17% in Colorado to 48% in Puerto Rico. In the majority of states, non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics had a significantly higher prevalence of inactivity than non-Hispanic whites. These data show that more efforts are needed to increase physical activity to prevent and control chronic disease in the U.S.

To address this issue, CDC just announced the launch of Active People, Healthy NationSM, a new initiative to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027. The initiative promotes strategies that work at the state and local level and is based on a foundation of inclusion and health equity.

Working on Wellness Environments joined Active People, Healthy Nation, and we invite you to do the same. Individuals, organizations, and community champions that support any of the strategies that work can join.

  • Organizations can join to help expand the effort, receive regular updates and exclusive networking opportunities, and share success stories with a broader network.
  • Champions can join and implement community changes that are supportive of physical activity.
  • Individuals can engage in physical activity and support the work through your personal networks.

By joining this initiative, we can collectively bring attention to the importance of being active, promote what works, highlight our successes, and galvanize support for physical activity nationwide.

You can also help promote Active People, Healthy Nation within your networks!

We thank you in advance for joining this movement and helping to promote it within your networks! If you have any questions about Active People, Healthy Nation, please email activepeople@cdc.gov.

New Years Resolutions: Setting Successful Goals!

by

From Dr. Jenna Anding

In 2015, 71% of Americans made some type of News Years Resolution, some of which included self-improvement, weight, money, and relationships. According to Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, top 3 reasons people tend to abandon their resolutions are 1. The resolution is not realistic, 2. People expect an unrealistic benefit out of the behavior change, 3. The person wasn’t prepared to change.

Texas A&M Agrilife Extension is sharing 6 simple steps to help Texans continue their resolutions throughout the year. These include: 1. Choose one! 2. Set Realistic Goals and be Specific, 3. Make a Plan, 4. Always have a Backup Plan, 5. Get Support, and 6. Reward Yourself!

Finally, be sure to check out Texas A&M Agrilife Extension plan’s here and you can customize the plan to your own needs!