At our July 27th meeting, Melissa Craig shared with our Club that the Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley (NHCLV) was officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 2004 by a group of concerned community residents. Their goal was to establish a coordinated system of primary care for the uninsured and/or underinsured residents in the Lehigh Valley. Currently, NHCLV operates two clinics: Vida Nueva at Casa in Allentown and the Fowler Family Center at Donegan Elementary School in Bethlehem. A third clinic is being considered to serve the northeast section of Bethlehem.
An estimated 37,770 persons reside in NHCLV’s service area, of which 70.4% (26,583) are below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), including 15,390 persons whose income level falls below 100% of the FPL. Health disparities seen among this population include high infant mortality rates, low birth weight, teen pregnancies, heart disease, cancer, suicide, and diabetes. NHCLV has seen infant mortality and low birth weight statistics improve significantly over the last several years because this population now has access to comprehensive prenatal care and support groups. Other services provided include: routine medical care, diabetes classes, nutrition counseling, behavioral and mental health counseling, to name a few. Case managers are also available to help patients access other types of assistance.
As a Federally Qualified Health Center, NHCLV is a consumer-led organization. This means its patients are part of the governance model and provide their input to the organization as to how best to meet the community’s needs. Thanks to this governance model and the leadership team at NHCLV, patients are learning to navigate the complicated world of health care, strengthen connections with their clinicians, and set and accomplish goals that improve their quality of life.
Other Club Announcements:
The Club joined in a moment of silence for Anne Schenkel, wife of Rev. Robert Schenkel, who passed away on Saturday, July 23. Anne had been valiantly battling cancer for a number of years. Please keep the Schenkel family in your prayers.
Rev. Hopeton Clennon was acknowledged and thanked for conducting a beautiful remembrance service for Gordon Mowrer on July 26.
A dinner is being held on Monday evening, August 15 to recognize several Clubs, including our own, for their outstanding efforts to raise funds in support of Strike Out Hunger at the Phillies. Please see Jill or Gerry Long for more details. The cost is $40 per person.
Thanks to Deb Geiger, on-line registration is available to sign up for our August 10 Rotary luncheon at Musikfest. It is important that everyone sign up in advance so we can provide ArtsQuest with an accurate count for lunch.
This week’s ‘Who’s That Rotarian?’ was someone who played in a rock & roll band in high school. Given the average age of our Rotarians, it could be almost anyone. Give up? Our very own rocker was Chad Paul! Rock on, Chad!
District Governor, Linda Young, is slated to visit our Club on Wednesday, August 17. Let’s do our Club proud and fill the Moravian Village dining room for Linda’s visit as she shares her goals for the 2016-2017 Rotary year.
Don’t miss next week’s Club Assembly. Thea Phalon will be sharing an update about our signature fundraising event, Taste & Tunes, and how everyone can help make this year another huge success! Paul Lynch, the executive director from Second Harvest, will provide a brief overview of how the proceeds from our event are going to be used to help relieve hunger in our community. Finally, Dale Kochard is bringing one of our Camp Neidig students to share their Camp experience with us!
In Peru, women suffer higher rates of poverty and unemployment than men. About 50 percent of Peruvian women in the Sacred Valley region, which lies outside Cusco, will suffer severe physical or sexual partner abuse during their lifetimes. In 2012, members of the Rotary Club of Boulder’s New Generations pilot satellite club came up with a plan to address all of those problems by concentrating on empowering local women – specifically in their ability to make and act upon their decisions. Read more about the club’s efforts
