Stories from our Grantees

Public Health Week

From our related Focus Area: Community Health Priorities

As part of National Public Health Week, the Oregon Public Health Division wanted to spotlight the important role that government public health plays on improving health for all. However, fully capitalizing on this opportunity would require expenditures that were beyond the State’s budget.

As a result, Northwest Health Foundation’s Community Health Priorities project served as a partner with the State on public health week, sponsoring several events. These included a visit and lecture by Deborah Cohen, M.D., a public health walk with state legislators that explored how the environment around the State Capitol does or does not encourage walking, and a high school student public health photo contest.

Students were asked to explore, through the lens of their camera, how their physical and social environments can encourage - or discourage - healthy behaviors.

Pictured here is one-half of the two-part winning entry, “Confidence,” by 16 year old Hillsboro resident Alexis Gomez, who received $250 for first prize. Alexis said her prize money would eventually be used to purchase a professional-grade camera.

Also pictured is another winning entry, “Demonstration of a Lost Mind,” by Vishnu Rajan, 18, of St. Helens. While Vishnu wrote that “this photo was taken at a time when my mind was struggling through many difficulties,” he also wrote that “mental health is most vital for our survival, to keep us focused on a daily basis to maintain physical health, complete tasks and most of all for keeping ourselves together. Our mind is powerful, and to maintain mental health by meditating, and staying on the positive side of things, will bring all sorts of accomplishments and happiness to others as well.”