How Does Asthma Make You Feel?

Post written by Thu Nguyen

Thu serves at Respiratory Health Association
as an Asthma Educator

“Scared.”       “Worried.”      “Like I can’t do anything.”

Leading a FAN class at a CPS school

Those are the most common responses I hear when I ask students about how having asthma makes them feel. It’s quite heartbreaking for me.  A child shouldn’t have to constantly worry about their chronic condition or feel incapable of doing things other children can do. While I have read so many research articles and facts about the dangers and importance of managing asthma, the students’ responses give me a tangible reason why I am spending a year serving as a Chicago Health Corps member.

As an asthma educator for Respiratory Health Association, I travel throughout the Chicagoland area to teach asthma education to students and adults. However, the best part of my day is coming to a school and teaching our Fight Asthma Now (FAN) class to asthmatic students.  In the FAN curriculum, we teach students about asthma warning signs, the respiratory system, asthma triggers, and proper medication administration. We stress the importance of carrying an inhaler at all times and using a spacer, a chamber that is added on to the inhaler to ease the delivery of the medication, whenever possible.

Student remembering her inhaler and spacer at school!

As I was leaving a school last week, a student chased after me to show me that she’s carrying her inhaler AND spacer at school. It overwhelms me with joy when students apply what I’ve taught them in FAN class. Our students walk out of FAN class feeling more comfortable and confident about managing their asthma, and I hope to continue accomplishing this goal throughout the year.

Learn more about asthma: http://www.lungchicago.org/asthma/

Pop-Up Food Pantry Provides Food to 75+ Families

 

 

 

 

Post written by CHC Member Suzanne Williams

Suzanne serves at Erie Family Health as a Health Educator

Healthy Kids Market at Henson Elementary

Every other Tuesday, a “pop-up” food pantry takes place at Henson Elementary School, an Erie Family Health Center site, serving over 75 Henson student families. This pantry, the Healthy Kids Market, is a collaboration between the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Chicago Public Schools, designed to provide nutritious foods to students and families. As a Chicago Health Corps member serving with Erie, I help implement and facilitate this market. I set-up and restock food, help clients choose the foods that they will use at home, and also lead cooking demonstrations utilizing the food that is provided that day.  

These food demonstrations help clients to think of new and creative ways to utilize the foods that are available to them. The first time I served at Healthy Kids Market, I showed clients how to make orange juice from fresh oranges. By offering and demonstrating the use of fresh fruits and vegetables, we promote the consumption of fresh, nutritious foods to our clients. In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, we also offer a variety of shelf-stable foods, such as cereal, rice, pasta, and oatmeal.

I was excited by how grateful and appreciative the clients were to have access to the food pantry. Clients also really appreciated the food demonstrations and taste tests. They discussed how they used the food items from the pantry to supplement their SNAP benefits, and how these items were essential to providing nutritious food to their families. I loved the opportunity to help out with such an awesome program, and I look forward to being a part of future Healthy Kids Markets.

Are You in the Loop? CHC Member Karen Yocky is...

As if our members don't serve the community enough already, CHC member Karen Yocky went above and beyond to write a guest blog post for the Sex-Ed Loop about School-Based Health Centers.  Karen serves at Erie Family Health as a Health Educator in a School-Based Health Center.

Click HERE to check out her post.

The Sex-Ed Loop is Chicago’s Destination for Reliable Youth Sex Education is a place for all Chicago youth to get comprehensive, medically accurate and up-to-date information on their sexual health needs. The Loop is a Chicago Public Schools project that provides sexual health education outside of the classroom using a website, texting, Facebook and Twitter.

Are you in the Loop?  Chicago Health Corps is, you should be too!

Female Condoms Included in HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign





Post written by CHC member Marissa Baranowski

Marissa serves at Respiratory Health Association as an Asthma Educator






Heeey Ladies!!
CHC member Sydney Weydemeyer & HCC
 member Caitlin Donato handing out condom
kits at the Brown Line Kimbal stop.



Bright and early on November 30th, the Chicago Health Corps and our sister AmeriCorps program, Healthy Community Corps, were out in full force commemorating World AIDS Day!  As part of the larger Chicago Community Condom Project sponsored by the Chicago Department of Public Health, Chicago Health Corps members gave out free safe sex kits at ‘L’ stops throughout the city. These safe sex kits included both male and female condoms.  In total, 100,000 free condoms were distributed! 

Now you might be asking yourself, what exactly is a female condom? 

Just like the male condom, it is a barrier method of birth control.  Female condoms are made of nitrile, making them a fantastic option for those with latex allergies, and are shaped like an open-ended tube.  Using them is a great way to prevent unintended pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), like HIV.  In fact, the female condom may be preferable to reduce the transmission of STIs spread by skin-to-skin contact, such as herpes or genital warts, as it can cover more surface area than the male condom. Above all, they give the receptive partner choice and control!


Female Condoms stay in place using
a removable inner ring and attached
outer ring.



Chicago Health Corps loved partnering with the Chicago Department of Public Health to commemorate World AIDS Day and help spread awareness!  To learn more about female condoms or get involved with the Chicago Community Condom Project, visit:

Chicago Female Condom Campaign Site

Chicago Community Condom Project Site