United Way of Muscatine - February 2019 Newsletter

" If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.” "

― Betty Reese

February is an important month for us here at United Way. This month, we have teams of volunteers reviewing grant applications, touring agencies, and listening to presentations to decide how the money we raise is allocated. This process makes sure that the money we raise locally is granted to local programs based on the decisions of people right here in our community. We’re proud of the work of these volunteers!

February is also a time for us to recognize other volunteers and individuals who are making a difference in the community. We’re promoting volunteerism through a drawing for a gift card for anyone who registers 5 or more volunteer hours on our volunteer website, volunteermuscatine.org . We’ll also be taking a week to recognize some community members who are making a difference in our community through random acts of kindness. We hope it inspires you to do what you can to make a difference too.

Thank you for reading!

Shane Orr

Executive Director

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For volunteer opportunities, please visit volunteermuscatine.org

Don't forget to log your volunteer hours for February!

We'll draw a winner soon!

Muscatine High School and West Liberty High School are partnering up to hire a part-time 300 hours (over 8 months) AmeriCorps position. This person will work with High School seniors to help them navigate the steps of the college-going process and enroll in education beyond high school. Benefits include a living allowance, housing if needed, and AmeriCorps members who complete their hours receive an educational award that can be used for student loans or future college expenses. To apply, click here .

Muscatine High School students and parents there is still time to fill out your FAFSA and be entered to win an Amazon gift card. Filling out the FAFSA is even easier now with the myStudentAid App. Complete your FAFSA by February 28th to be entered into the drawing. Filing the FAFSA is free and many students qualify for federal student aid. The reality is there’s no income cut-off to qualify for federal student aid. It doesn’t matter if you have a low or high income; most people qualify for some type of financial aid, including low-interest federal student loans. Many factors besides income—such as your family size and your year in school—are taken into account. https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa

This year, the National Eating Disorders Awareness (NEDA) week falls between February 25 ^th and March 3 ^rd. NEDA wants you to know that the 2019 theme, Come as You Are, sends a message to those at all stages of body acceptance and eating disorders recovery that each story is equally important. NEDA is the largest nonprofit organization committed to helping individuals and their families struggling with eating disorders.

Did you know?

· Eating disorders can happen at any age, despite stereotypes.

· You cannot determine if someone has an eating disorder just by

looking at them. Eating disorders can develop in individuals of

different body sizes, weights, and shapes.

· Of all mental illnesses, eating disorders have the highest mortality

rate.

The first step towards recovery is the diagnosis of an eating disorder. The treatment plan typically involves a combination of psychological and nutrition counseling in addition to medical and psychiatric monitoring. Trinity Muscatine Public Health is staffed with dietitians who can help you establish a plan to develop and maintain healthy eating habits. What to expect when meeting with a dietitian for an eating disorder:

· Learn how nutrition affects the body and understand how an eating

disorder can cause nutrition and physical problems.

· Create regular eating patterns – typically 3 meals a day with regular

snacks.

· Discuss any behaviors you have related to food and your concerns

about changing these behaviors.

· Together, create a healthy eating plan that works for you.

Sources:

· https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

· https://dietitiansondemand.com/a-dietitians-role-with-eating-disorder-patients/

· https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eating-disorders/in-depth/eating-disorder-treatment/art-20046234