WHAT’S NEWS IN WOODLAND HILLS
REACH UP, INC. FAMILY
WELLNESS CENTER TO
THIRD ANNUAL HEALTH
FAIR
Reach Up, Inc. Family Wellness Center is
a 501(c)3 non-profit organization developed
to promote and support family health and
wellness in Swissvale. The center, in affiliation
with Union Baptist Church of Swissvale,
currently offers weekly line dancing classes,
health and wellness events throughout the
year, and an annual community-wide health
fair in collaboration with the Carnegie Free
Library of Swissvale and the University of
Pittsburgh Clinical & Translational Science
Institute (CTSI).
The organization’s third annual Health
Fair will be held on Saturday, Sept. 23 from
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on McClure Avenue, from
Monongahela Avenue to Monroe Street. Over
the past two years, the Health Fair included
more than 30 health providers and attracted
over 200 community residents who took part
in health screenings, workshops and exercise
classes. This year is sure to be another great
event!
The day’s activities will include Zumba,
Yoga, line dancing, personal training
demonstration, children’s activities and ATU’s
Health Food Truck.
The goal of the Reach Up, Inc. Family
Wellness Center is to increase capacity to
provide more health and wellness services in
our community. The organization is currently
preparing the following programs with
hopeful implementation in the fall:
• Expansion of its exercise program
(Classes/activities will be held at the
Carnegie Free Library of Swissvale)
• Trauma Informed Congregational Care
• A prescription scholarship program to
offset the cost of co-pays for area
residents in need
Everyone is invited to come and enjoy
the fun, food and information, to “reach up”
towards a healthier Swissvale.
ROSE YMCA BLOOD
PRESSURE MONITORING
PROGRAM
The Million Hearts campaign was launched
by the U.S. Department of Health and
6 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Woodland Hills
Human Services with the goal of preventing
one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017.
As part of this effort to prevent
cardiovascular disease, the Y-USA designed
a program to reduce participants’ blood
pressure based on the successful “Check It,
Change It,” research study. The YMCA’s Blood
Pressure Self-Monitoring program supports
adults with high blood pressure in developing
the habit of self-monitoring blood pressure
and understanding the role nutrition plays in
pressure management through personalized
support.
The BPSM evidence based program is a
four-month program designed to help adults
with high blood pressure develop the habit of
routine blood pressure monitoring.
The goals of the program are:
1) Reduce blood pressure
2) Develop new skills for managing blood
pressure
3) Gain the ability to identify and control
triggers that raise blood pressure
4) Increase confidence in adopting
healthier eating habits
Heart healthy ambassadors from the
YMCA will take participants’ blood pressure
during face-to- face meetings and will
train participants to take their own blood
pressure accurately using the American Heart
Association ABCD protocol.
In addition, the YMCA will offer a nutrition
education seminar each month.
For more information, email Healthy
Living Director at the Rose Family YMCA in
Cranberry Township at [email protected].
WPSD TO HOST ANNUAL
COMMUNITY BLOCK
PARTY
Mark your calendars for the afternoon of
Saturday, Sept. 16! The Western Pennsylvania
School for the Deaf (WPSD) will host its
annual Community Block Party from 1 to 4 p.m.
The event is a great afternoon for the whole
family and will include games, a train ride
for kids, a petting zoo, hearing screenings,
a children’s talent show, food and more.
The event is a great opportunity for local
communities to come together, get to know
each other better and continue to develop and
strengthen relationships.
The party is free and open to the public
and local talent is needed for the youth talent
show. The event will take place on the WPSD
campus at the corner of Walnut Street and
Swissvale Avenue in Edgewood.
For more information, contact Aaron
Noschese or Sarah Bartlebaugh at
412.371.7000 or [email protected].
Follow WPSD on Facebook for updates.
FOREST HILLS DOG PARK
DEDICATION AND RIBBON
CUTTING
The official ribbon cutting and dedication
of the Forest Hills Dog Park took place
following the biathlon at this year’s Forest
Hills Community Day, held on July 4. The
donor wall was unveiled and brief remarks
were given to thank everyone for their support
of the Dog Park project.
EMMAUS TO HOST
FOURTH ANNUAL SPIRIT
RUN
On Oct.15, Emmaus will host its fourth
annual SPIRIT RUN—a Halloween
Costume-themed chipped 5k and 1 Mile Fun
Walk to benefit the Emmaus Community
of Pittsburgh and its mission of providing
homes and support for people with
intellectual disabilities. All skill and fitness
levels welcome. The Spirit Run is an out and
back course along the Three Rivers Heritage
Trail, followed by an awards ceremony,
refreshments and a family-friendly celebration
in the South Shore Riverfront Park at
Southside Works. Post-race activities include
Halloween-themed crafts and fun with the
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, pumpkin
painting and more! For more information,
visit EmmausPgh.org/spiritrun. n