Lunches aim to offer learning forums
PLAINS – The Clark Fork Valley Hospital is launching a new program that will be open to the community.
Learning Lunches is a 30 minute lunch event where the public can learn about a variety of different health and wellness topics. The event also highlights health and wellness related organizations within Sanders County in an effort to increase awareness of their services.
According to Tonya Revier, marketing and community relations coordinator for CFVH, the first ten people to RSVP to the event will receive their lunch for free.
The goal is to host two Learning Lunches per month.
The idea was kick started by the 2011 Community Health Needs Assessment results where respondents said they wanted to see more health and wellness programs offered within Sanders County.
Brandy Kincheloe, community health improvement specialist at CFVH, explained the topics could vary greatly.
“The topics have been generated by a variety of sources, from employees at Clark Fork Valley Hospital, who make up a percentage of the local community, to the chamber of commerce meetings where non-profits that support healthy programs elected to participate in the Learning Lunches,” Kincheloe explained.
The first time this event was held was in May with the topic centered on the Cancer Network of Sanders County. Kincheloe said the lunch met their quota, however, there was still additional room for more participants.
The hope is for these programs to gain popularity.
“Since the program just started, I hope to see an increase in response and interest as we continue,” Kincheloe said.
Each lunch provides enough space to seat at least 20 attendees. Kincheloe said calling ahead is appreciated and can also lead to one of the free lunches handed out.
The goal is to share important information with the community in a friendly environment.
“Sanders County is a frontier community, so providing opportunities for our local community members to connect with one another and learn about topics that could directly impact their health or the health of someone they know is important,” Kincheloe said. “Often times we miss out on learning more about a program or knowledge that might have been able to help us live better and happier.”
She stated the lunches provide a neutral ground for community members to share information, ask questions and meet one another.
“Who knows, we might stimulate the creation of a bicycling group who develops trails for the community in the future or opens the floor for community members to talk about where they like to ride their bike and create a map for others to try their routes,” Kincheloe said.
The possibilities are endless, but the goal remains the same. The purpose is to help boost awareness of services and enhance their presence throughout the county, improving the wellness and hopefully the health of the surrounding communities.
Kincheloe is open to topics and anyone is able to suggest what they would like to see.
The next lunch will be on June 24 and will feature Chris Magdelene from Sanders County Coalition for Families. Magdelene will present on the power of positive thinking. On June 8, Dr. Stan Stanhope will present information on juicing techniques and on July 29 a volunteer from Missoula Free Cycles will present on the safety, maintenance and etiquette of bicycling.
Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact Brandy Kincheloe at 826-4669 or email her at bkincheloe@cfvh.org.