HHS Strategic Plan:
Submit Your Comments
The draft HHS Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2010–2015 was recently posted on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Open Government Web site. http://www.hhs.gov/open/ The Open Government site allows the public consultation process truly to be participatory. Individuals can review and comment on the draft plan as well as see the comments posted by others. To ensure the broadest possible participation in the development of the Strategic Plan, please review and comment on the draft. The public comment period will end August 14, 2010.
Comment Now at http://www.hhs.gov/open/strategicplan/index.html

Heineman Foundation – Youth Development Grants (Various locations)
http://bit.ly/azipc3
The purpose of the Heineman Foundation is to provide seed money for start-up projects and new projects within existing organizations for a maximum of three to five years. The Youth Development Grants are intended to support projects that conduct research into prevention, education, and treatment for childhood illnesses, and those that enable youth to think, create, and communicate effectively.

Entertainment Software Association – Youth Development Grants
http://bit.ly/btEKH9
The ESA Foundation is dedicated to supporting programs and opportunities that make a difference in the lives of America’s youth. The Foundation seeks to create a positive social impact in communities. The organization supports geographically diverse projects and programs that benefit American boys and girls of all races and religions.

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools
Grant Alerts – July 26, 2010

Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures: Includes a Special Report on Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer’s Disease
http://www.alz.org/documents_custom/report_alzfactsfigures2010.pdf
Provides a statistical resource for United States data related to Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, as well as other dementias. Includes implications for rural residents.

At the Intersection of Public Health and Transportation: Promoting Healthy Transportation Policy
http://bit.ly/8FxDh (pdf file)
Provides evidence-based information about how transportation policy and practice in suburban, urban and rural communities affect public health.

Substance Use among American Indian or Alaska Native Adults
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k10/182/AmericanIndian.htm
Study reveals that the rate of past month alcohol use among American Indian or Alaska Native adults is significantly lower than the national average for adults (43.9 percent versus 55.2 percent).
[Rural Assistance Center Health Update]

WISER http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/ is a system designed to assist first responders in hazardous material incidents. WISER provides a wide range of information on hazardous substances, including substance identification support, physical characteristics, human health information, and containment and suppression advice.

WISER for BlackBerry leverages a customized version of WebWISER to deliver content to this popular platform.  This release features:

– Quick online access to WISER’s full database of chemical, biological, and radiological substances

– Easy access to WISER’s help identify capability and full suite of tools

WISER for BlackBerry ( http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/downloads_blackberry.html?email ) can be downloaded from the WISER website ( http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/index.html ).  Please note that WISER for BlackBerry requires an active Internet connection.

The Latino Digital Divide: The Native Born versus The Foreign Born
http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=123
When it comes to the use of technology among Latinos, nativity plays an important role. Internet use and cell phone use are much higher among native-born Latinos than among foreign-born Latinos. And among young Latinos ages 16 to 25, the native born are more likely than the foreign born to use mobile technology to communicate daily with their friends. These findings emerge from two new analyses of a nationwide survey of Latinos ages 16 and older by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center.

How Young Latinos Communicate with Friends in the Digital Age
http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=124
finds that Latinos ages 16 to 25 use mobile technology to communicate and socialize with their friends more than other technologies. However, the native born are far more likely than the foreign born to send texts (65% versus 26%) and to use a cell phone (55% versus 29%) to communicate daily with their friends. [Pew Hispanic Center Press Release July 28, 2010]

http://datacenter.kidscount.org/DataBook/2010/Default.aspx
The 2010 Kids Count Data Book is now available. Download the book, national and state profiles, and state rankings on 10 indicators of child well-being. Customize your own maps, graphs, and charts and share them or add them to your blog or website.  [DISASTR-OUTREACH-LIB listserv]

Massachusetts program turns refugees into farmers
http://bit.ly/cqDGjm
RUSSELL CONTRERAS
The Associated Press
DRACUT, Mass. – The bullet wounds show on Rechhat Proum’s back when he bends down to pull lemon grass or water spinach on his farm in peaceful northern Massachusetts. When the 56-year-old Cambodian refugee lifts a pumpkin, the movement of his shirt reveals deep stab wounds on his stomach.

Scout seeking furnishings for refugees to start a home
http://bit.ly/a30TXC
Donation drive part of Eagle project
By Jason Glenn, Leader Staff Writer
Published: Friday, July 23, 2010
Furnishing a new home or apartment can be a daunting task for anyone. The couch, the coffeemaker, the curling iron, dishes and silverware, a TV and who knows how long it can take to accumulate them all.

[Nebraska Dept. Health and Human Services]

FY10 Partnerships Active in Communities to Achieve Health Equity
http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_details.php?funding_id=2436
Grants to improve health outcomes among racial and ethnic minorities through the establishment of community-based networks.

Open Meadows Foundation
http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_details.php?funding_id=2442
Grants for projects that are led by and benefit women and girls, particularly those from vulnerable communities.

Avon Breast Health Outreach Program (BHOP)
http://www.raconline.org/funding/funding_details.php?funding_id=879
Funding to link medically underserved women to breast health education and screening services.
[Rural Assistance Center Health Update]

Consejos para Tomar sus Medicamentos de Forma Segura: Tips for Taking Medicines Safely
This AHRQ Podcast advises Spanish speakers to tell their health care providers about all the medications they’re taking, including herbal supplements, so they can avoid dangerous interactions. Listen to the Podcast at: http://healthcare411.ahrq.gov/radiocastseg.aspx?id=1123&type=seg.
For other Spanish language Podcasts and consumer information, go to: http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/espanoix.htm.
[AHRQ]

Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast
HLOL #42: Mapping Health Literacy “Hot Spots”
http://bit.ly/at2738
Laurie Martin, ScD MPH is a policy researcher with the RAND Corporation. Her interests focus on understanding the role of health literacy from both an individual and community perspective. Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Martin and colleagues developed an interactive mapping tool that identifies health literacy “hot spots” — geographic areas of suboptimal health or healthcare that may be due to low health literacy. A prototype is being used in Missouri. The goal is to expand nationwide, providing tools that researchers and practitioners can use to target health literacy interventions in ways that are efficient and cost-effective

Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation Offers Instruments for School Music Programs
http://pndapps.fdncenter.org/link/425/3
Refurbished or new musical instruments whose worth does not exceed $20,000 will be given to school and afterschool music programs, particularly those serving low-income communities

TD Charitable Foundation Offers Grants to Support Capital Improvements for Affordable Housing
http://pndapps.fdncenter.org/link/428/6
Thirty-four grants of up to $100,000 each will be awarded to nonprofits or state/local government entities working to enhance the lives of housing residents through improved property conditions, overall cost savings, and/or increased energy efficiency

Student Groups Invited to Submit Entries for SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards
http://pndapps.fdncenter.org/link/429/7
Grants of up to $15,000 plus trips to SeaWorld will be awarded to schools and community groups working at the grassroots level to protect and preserve the environment
[PND RFP BULLETIN (July 23, 2010)]