Dixfield people see much to crow about.
DIXFIELD – A good, basic education for young people, a sense of unity and plenty of job opportunities are among the things that make a community healthy.
That was the feeling of a handful of Dixfield people Tuesday night as they worked through a questionnaire presented by the River Valley Healthy Community Coalition as part of the organization’s efforts to complete its community needs assessment.
Tuesday night’s forum in Dixfield was the second of two held by the coalition this week.
On Monday night, people from Rumford and Mexico met to answer some of the same questions and to offer ideas on how to make their community a healthier place to be. Health is defined in the broadest of terms, said the organization’s coordinator, Patricia Duguay. It includes physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, economic and recreational health.
Jennifer Berry, a University of Maine at Farmington student soon to receive her degree in community health, led both forums.
“Most have been concerned with job opportunities and how to get young people involved,” she said of the Monday group. “Some were also concerned about sex offenders living in the community.”
That same group listed such things as the generosity of its people, the natural beauty and the vision of some of the area’s town managers as what they were the most proud of.
The Dixfield group outlined some similar ideas, along with a few others.
“We’re a small town with a friendly feeling,” said Sue Gallant. “We know so many people.”
Paula Inglehart said her town takes pride in its appearance, while Mindy Murphy said the area has a outstanding group of volunteers.
They said the town has a strong recreation department and an active parent-teacher group that supports the area’s youth. Gallant added that selectmen have also supported health in the community by their advocacy for the area ambulance service and athletic fields.
At Monday’s forum, participants cited the organizations in the River Valley area that work together to improve the health and quality of life, including the River Valley Growth Council, the healthy communities coalition, Rumford Hospital, and a host of civic groups.
Once all the data is sifted through, which includes ideas expressed in the two forums as well as similar information being gathered through surveys, a comprehensive community health assessment report will be filed with the state’s Bureau of Health.
The first part of that assessment, which is the strictly physical component that measures such things as incidents of cancer and stroke, the number of live births, and how many women receive pre-natal care, has been completed.
The healthy communities board will also use the information to set priorities and projects for the next year. Past community forums have resulted in projects that identified high lead levels and provided solutions, produced surveys on the needs of the elderly, and provided a dental sealant program for youngsters, among other projects.
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