Posts tagged children
Help needy to have a good holiday season
Nov 13th
Boulder County, Colo. – With the holidays approaching, Boulder County programs that work with low-income families are once again reaching out to local residents and businesses in hopes of making the holidays a little brighter for families in need.
These programs are greatly appreciated by the people who participate in them, and Boulder County encourages members of the community to join in the effort to brighten the lives of individuals and families who would otherwise do without over the holiday season.
The following programs help provide basic needs such as groceries and household items for families, seniors and people with disabilities in our community, as well as clothing, toys and games for children:
· The Family-To-Family (F2F) Holiday Program, in its 39th year, serves the county’s low-income and basic needs families and individuals who are clients of the Child Protection, Adolescent, and Adult Protection (elderly and disabled adults) programs. Last year F2F served over 450 families (totaling more than 1,400 individuals).
As the program prepares to turn 40 next year, Family-To-Family is seeking more opportunities to give families the primary voice in decisions affecting their lives. Recognizing that many parents relish the opportunity to purchase presents for their own children, and teens and disabled or elderly adults clients have long preferred the chance to shop for themselves, F2F is asking donors beginning this year to support clients who would prefer to receive gift cards and do the holiday shopping themselves. The program typically seeks a contribution of $75 per participating individual or family member, and donors can use that figure to determine the number of individuals they wish to support. For more information, call 303-441-1050 or email Debbie at dramirez@bouldercounty.org or Lou at lcrnkovich@bouldercounty.org.
· Family Self-Sufficiency’s (FSS) Holiday Gift Sponsor program serves Boulder County families in the Family Self-Sufficiency program who are working to gain education and skills to help them achieve higher wage jobs and better living situations for their families. For the holidays, the highest-need FSS families submit a “wish list” that sponsors can shop from. Donors spend a minimum of $30 and a maximum of $100 for each person in the family. Sponsors purchase items on the list – or, for donors who find that a full family sponsorship is more than they can take on, the program also gratefully accepts cash donations or gift cards (e.g., grocery stores, Target, Wal-Mart) to help with groceries and basic household needs, as well as cash donations to assist with basic needs for FSS families throughout the year. To sponsor or make a donation for an FSS family, contact Katie Frye at 303-441-3923 or kfrye@bouldercounty.org.
· Boulder County Housing Authority Senior Services assists low-income seniors. Many of these seniors have expensive medications and other high medical costs, and buying groceries and other basic needs can be difficult. Gift cards to local grocery or discount retail stores go a long way in helping a senior make ends meet during the holidays. For more information, contact Kris at kdurso@bouldercounty.org at 303-519-7152.
· The Casa de la Esperanza Learning Center provides academic support and enrichment opportunities for over 30 families on-site plus another dozen families in a nearby neighborhood of south Longmont. These families are seasonal farm workers employed in the local dairies, farms and greenhouses. As the growing season comes to a close in the cold months just before the holidays, the Casa de la Esperanza families face economic difficulties and must endure winter on a very tight budget. Donations of school supplies, winter clothing, grocery gift cards, and presents for children are greatly appreciated. If you can help in any way, please contact Carlota Loya-Hernandez, Program Coordinator at 303-678-6220 or cloya@bouldercounty.org.
Annual donors to these worthwhile holiday giving programs include individuals, families, sports teams, clubs and hobbyist groups, faith-based organizations and local corporations and businesses. Donations are tax deductible, and contributions of any size are gratefully welcomed.
Stranger approaches provoke police warning
Oct 1st
Recently, parents have reported that a male in a white SUV has approached children and at least one adult in a large geographic area in Boulder, which includes the area of the 2200 block of Balsam, the 400 block of Highland and the 2000 block of Alpine Avenue.
No one has been able to provide a concrete description of the SUV or the possible suspect, and the people approached are both males and females from 7-to-20 years old. One of those who reported being contacted by the male says she was offered a ride and ran away. Others say a white SUV approached them but that the person driving it didn’t speak to them. An adult who noticed a white SUV told police that a man was sleeping inside it.
Descriptions of the suspect vary; police were told he was 30-to-60 years old; that he had white hair or salt-and-pepper hair and that he had a full beard or was clean-shaven; that he wore glasses and that he didn’t wear glasses. The SUV descriptions differ as well.
Neighbors shared an informational email in an effort to inform each other about the incidents, and detectives have investigated all the reports.
Police offer some tips for keeping kids safe:
- Tell your kids to walk with others and stay in well-lit areas
- Always supervise younger children, even in groups
- Tell your kids to never, ever get into a car with a stranger
- Let your child know you will never send an unknown adult to pick them up – ever
- If a stranger does approach your child, your child should RUN, YELL and REPORT the stranger to a trusted adult. It’s not appropriate for adults to approach children.
Here are some ploys strangers may use:
- Asks for help finding a lost pet
- Invites the child to a car to see a new puppy
- Offers candy, toys or food
- Asks for directions
- Offers a ride
Police remind people to call 9-1-1 if they are in a situation which they feel is unsafe, or if they notice a situation involving someone else.
The Boulder Police Department will keep the public apprised of any developments or public safety issues which arise.
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National Health Service advises how to stay healthy after a flood, Watch out Nebraska
Sep 18th
Flooding presents a number of risks and hazards to health, either directly (such as injuries caused by fast-flowing floodwater) or the longer-term impact of dealing with the aftermath. The main health risks associated with flooding are drowning and being injured by an accident in flowing water.
Avoid going into floodwater if you can. If you have to go in, wear rubber boots and waterproof gloves. Be aware of any potential dangers under the water, such as drains without covers.
Infections caused by flooding are rare in the UK. See your GP if anyone in your family has symptoms such as sickness, diarrhoea or stomach cramps.
Mental health
Being affected by a flood and cleaning your home afterwards can be physically and mentally stressful. If you feel overwhelmed and need some help to cope, talk to your GP. The Citizens Advice Bureau can help with practical things, like money and alternative housing. Getting involved in community activities and talking to friends, neighbours and family may also help.
Food, water and general hygiene
Maintaining good hygiene reduces health risks. Always wash your hands with soap and clean water:
- after you use the toilet
- when you handle food
- after being in contact with floodwater or items contaminated by floodwater
Don’t allow children to play in floodwater areas. Wash their hands frequently, especially before meals.
Keep open cuts or sores clean and use waterproof plasters to prevent them being exposed to floodwater.
Food preparation and storage
Don’t eat any food, including tinned food, that has come into contact with floodwater.
- Wash all food preparation surfaces, plastic and glass chopping boards, crockery, pots, pans and other utensils with hot clean water and detergent, then a normal kitchen disinfectant. Powerful disinfectants such as bleach are unnecessary.
- Throw away wooden chopping boards that have been in contact with floodwater.
- Wash your hands before and after preparing food.
- Make sure that all shelves and surfaces that food will touch are disinfected and undamaged.
- To wash food that you will eat raw (for example, salad or fruit), use boiled water that has been cooled.
- It’s safe to use unboiled tap water for boiling food or for preparing food that is going to be cooked.
Water
If your water comes through a mains supply, follow the advice of the local water company. If your water is a private supply from a well or spring and you notice changes in the way it looks, smells or tastes, ring your local council for advice.
If you’re concerned about the purity of your water, boil it before you use it. Continue doing this until the water supply has been shown to be safe.
Boiling water
Boiling water kills harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites. Bring the water to the boil and allow it to cool before you drink it.
Also remember:
- Water from the hot tap is never suitable for drinking.
- Water taps must be cleaned and disinfected before use after a flood.
If you’re bottle-feeding a baby, use boiled water. Don’t use bottled water for your baby unless it’s recommended by a doctor or health visitor, as some bottled water is unsuitable for babies.
Cleaning inside your home
You can clean and disinfect your home using normal household products. However, floodwater can contain sewage, chemical hazards and animal waste, so when you’re cleaning up:
- Wear waterproof gloves, wellington boots and a face mask (available from DIY shops).
- Keep children and pets out of the affected area until the clean-up is complete.
- Clean walls, hard floors and other surfaces with hot soapy water, using ordinary household detergent such as washing-up liquid, until they look clean.
- Remove and throw away soft furnishings, such as curtains, and fittings that are mouldy or damaged beyond repair.
- Contaminated soft furnishings that can’t go in a washing machine need to be professionally cleaned. If this isn’t possible, you may have to throw them away.
- Wash clothes and bedding in a hot wash (60C or the hottest on the items’ instruction labels).
- Clothes worn during the clean-up should be washed separately from other items.
- Heating and good ventilation, fans, air conditioning units and dehumidifiers will all help drying.
Petrol- or diesel-powered generators, dehumidifiers and pressure washers should never be used indoors without adequate ventilation as their exhaust gases can build up and kill.
Visit the Health Protection Agency (HPA) website to find out more about what to do after a flood.
The HPA also has some useful questions and answers about flood safety.
Floods heading toward the Northeast Plains and Nebraska
Nearly all the rainfall in last week’s flood fell in the South Platte River basin. The basin sends the water toward Nebraska, where the water is collecting i n the main river basin and rushing toward the flat farm land, where the crest could as high as 10 entering the state. In Nebraska, the South Platte follows I-80 eastward and could damage the interstate highway.
How far into Nebraska the flood does damage depends upon, in part, where the South Platte joins the North Platte River near the city of North Platte, about 90 miles from the Colorado state line. Currently, the North Platte is running about 800 c.f.s, which is close to the historical norm for this time of the year. The South Platte is currently running at 10,000 c.f.s higher than the historical average.