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May is National Foster Care Month – have you considered becoming a foster parent?

The Pender County Department of Social Services is seeking individuals and families to provide loving and stable temporary homes for children in the foster care program. #NationalFosterCareMonth

 

For more information please contact:

Annie Murphy, Social Worker

Pender County Department of Social Services

(910) 259-1331 or amurphy@pendercountync.gov

Governor Cooper Proclaims April 2020 Alcohol Awareness Month in North Carolina

Talk It Out NC Honors Alcohol Awareness Month by Encouraging Families to Start the Conversation about Underage Drinking

RALEIGH, N.C. – (April 6, 2020) Governor Roy Cooper issued a proclamation declaring April Alcohol Awareness Month in North Carolina. The proclamation coincides with a nationwide effort to educate Americans about the dangers of alcoholism and issues related to alcohol… all while families are staying home together.

Talk It Out NC, a state-sponsored initiative to reduce underage drinking, is taking the opportunity to encourage families in North Carolina to start the conversation about underage drinking. The program is launching several new initiatives to reduce the underage drinking problem in our state.

NC Alcohol Awareness Month Initiatives:

Engage Families During Pandemic Lockdown

Right now, when families are home together, is an opportune time in the fight against underage drinking. Talk It Out ambassadors are making virtual appearances across the stateto help families tackle what can sometimes seem like a daunting discussion.

“Students are home from school right now, and many of their parents are home from work — it’s the perfect time for families to talk about the consequences of underage drinking,” says Deputy Director of Education and Outreach for the ABC Commission Jim Van Hecke. “At the same time, Talk It Out is honoring Alcohol Awareness Month by encouraging students to Take the Pledge against underage drinking through several new initiatives.”

Social Media Blitz

Talk It Out is acknowledging Alcohol Awareness Month with engaging posts on all its social media platforms. These posts encourage families to talk about alcohol and keep the lines of communication open.

Alcohol Education Project

Talk It Out is also working with the North Carolina Association of ABC Boards to share information about an alcohol education project with the public. It is part of the Boards’ mission to ensure members of the public are well informed about the societal issues related to the consumption of alcohol.

School- and Faith-Based Initiatives

Although attendance at schools and churches is on hold right now, Talk It Out is planning for the future. The program is in the process of organizing school-based and faith-based initiatives for future engagement opportunities. Talk It Out’s ambassadors will connect with schools and churches in their communities to talk about underage drinking.

New Partnerships

April is also Alcohol Responsibility Month, and Talk It Out is partnering with the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) to eliminate underage drinking. The Foundation released encouraging statistics that result from positive conversations between parents and their kids about alcohol:

Alcohol Awareness in North Carolina:

Source: Alcohol Awareness Month Proclamation

  • According to the Centers for Disease Control, the level of excessive drinking in North Carolina is trending upward.
  • Neuroscience tells us that the developing adolescent brain is far more sensitive to alcohol than the mature adult brain and underage alcohol use can negatively impact student success and athletic performance.
  • Excessive alcohol consumption in North Carolina costs over $7 billion a year in health care costs
  • Prevention efforts throughout North Carolina have helped raise the average age at which young people begin to use alcohol, yet 27% of high school students still report drinking in the last 30 days.

Talk It Out encourages families to keep the lines of communication about underage drinking open with helpful tips.

Starting the Conversation:

  • Ask open-ended questions and really listen to their answers without interrupting or jumping to conclusions.
  • Take advantage of all kinds of situations, like a celebrity appearing in the news for drunk driving or a plotline in a TV show that involves alcohol.
  • Start a conversation in the car. Some teens feel more comfortable when they don’t have to make eye contact.
  • Make kids part of the conversation. Don’t make it a lecture.

View complete article here

To learn more visit: www.talkitoutnc.org

Need health insurance? You have options!

NEED HEALTH INSURANCE?

You have health insurance options. If you have recently lost or can no longer afford your health insurance, or even if you are trying to purchase health insurance for the first time, you have options to make sure that you and your family have access to care. Find out more at healthcare.gov.

You have health insurance options. If you have recently lost your health insurance, you can no longer afford it, or even if you are trying to buy medical insurance for the first time, you have options to ensure that you and your family have access to health care: 

Health Insurance Options Form English

Health Insurance Options Form Spanish 

 

A Message About the Use of Cloth Face Coverings

Here is a message about face covering from Monique Travise, Health Educator here at the Pender County Health Department.

Take action to slow the spread by wearing a cloth face covering in public spaces, keeping at least 6 feet of physical distance, and frequently washing your hands.

A cloth face covering can be made from items around your home, such as a scarf or cloth napkin. Make sure the covering reaches above your nose and below your chin.

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

To learn more visit: cdc.gov/coronavirus

Pender County identifies second case of COVID-19

BURGAW- The second case of Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, has been confirmed in Pender County.

“The individual’s exposure was travel-related,” Carolyn Moser, Pender County Health and Human Services director, said. “The individual is in isolation.”

Pender County Health Department’s Communicable Disease staff continues working to conduct contact tracing to make certain everyone who came in close proximity to this individual is quarantined.

Close contact is defined as anyone who was within 6-ft. of the individual for 10 minutes or more.

To protect the individual’s privacy, no further details will be released.

The first confirmed case of COVID-19, reported April 3, was also a travel-related exposure.

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, there are no approved treatments and no vaccine to prevent COVID-19.

Pender County Health Department is open Mondays through Fridays, 8-5 p.m. The telephone number is 910-259-1230.

For updated information, visit pendercountync.gov, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus, or the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services at www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-response-north-carolina.

Pender County identifies first case of COVID-19

BURGAW –  The first case of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Pender County. The individual who tested positive for COVID-19 has traveled outside the county. The individual was tested on March 31, 2020 and confirmation of a positive test result was received at the Pender County Health Department on April 3, 2020. This individual self-isolated at the onset of symptoms and remains in isolation.

Pender County Health Department’s Communicable Disease staff is working to identify close contacts. Close contact is anyone who was within six feet of the individual for ten minutes or more. To protect individual privacy, no further information will be released.

“There is nothing to indicate this was a community-acquired transmission,” stated Carolyn Moser, Pender County Health and Human Services Director. “All indications are this was travel-related. We are following all state protocols for contact tracing.”

Currently there are no approved treatments and no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. However, there are known methods to reduce and slow the spread of infection. Residents should continue to shelter in place per the Governor’s Executive Order #121. We encourage everyone to practice social distancing of six feet, wash hands frequently, stay at home if you are sick, disinfect surfaces, and cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

Social distancing is the best way to prevent or limit the spread of this disease.

For more information on COVID-19 preventive measures, please visit:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- www.cdc.gov
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services- www.ncdhhs.gov
Pender County Government- pendercountync.gov
Or call the health department at (910) 259-1230

Important Information from Pender County Deparment of Social Services (DSS)

Due to Declaration of COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, NCDHHS encourages potential recipients/recipients to utilize online, alternate and telephone methods for applications and questions. Most transactions can be handled by phone, fax, email or mail. A Drop Box is located to the left of the Entrance Doors for your convenience. Appointments will be scheduled for transactions that can’t be handled by one of these methods. Caseworkers will follow-up by phone or email.

Click here for more information.

ePASS is a quick and easy way for individuals and families to learn about and apply for available benefits and services. Online applications are available for Food and Nutrition Services (formerly Food Stamps) as well as Medical Assistance (Medicaid and NC Health Choice or CHIP). You can learn if you are potentially eligible for Medical Assistance by completing an electronic pre-assessment screening.

To access ePASS click here 

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