Maternal and Infant Health > Create The Project
| Funding | Hours | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Moderate | Low |
Project: Educate the Public
Kiwanis clubs can work with the March of Dimes or local Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies coalitions on a variety of awareness activities. The March of Dimes has a catalog of educational brochures, pamphlets, curriculums, and audiovisual programs. Many of the printed pieces are free. Any club planning its own awareness campaign should request the March of Dimes catalog and consider using one or more of its publications. Contact the Resource Center of the March of Dimes at 888-663-4637.
| Funding | Hours | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Moderate | Low |
Project: Provide Prenatal Health Care Education in the Workplace
The March of Dimes has developed a series of nine seminars, titled "Babies and You," designed for presentation during lunch hours or other periods of the workday. These seminars educate potential parents about lifestyle behaviors that can affect a pregnancy and encourage early and regular prenatal care. Many employers have begun to realize that their companies benefit from programs that improve the pregnancy outcomes of workers.
A Kiwanis club could be the catalyst to bring the "Babies and You" seminars to a community. The club can work with small businesses in the community to organize one class of employees for the seminars.
The "Babies and You" seminars are conducted by local March of Dimes offices. To find the nearest March of Dimes office, contact the Resource Center of the March of Dimes at 888-663-4637.
| Funding | Hours | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| High | High | Low |
Project: Create or Support a Home Visitation Program
A home visitation program sends a trained volunteer or worker into the home of a pregnant woman or mother to offer information and assistance. The home visitor can help a pregnant woman secure financial assistance and negotiate the complexities of the health care system.
As the home visitor earns the trust of the future mother, she can also motivate her. In addition, the woman being visited feels secure because she is on her "home turf" and is, therefore, more likely to accept advice on parenting, nutrition, and medical care.
| Funding | Hours | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| Low to Moderate | Low to Moderate | Moderate |
Project: Immunizations
A dollar's worth of vaccine can prevent death or permanent disability and thousands of dollars in hospital care. That's why it's important for every child to be fully immunized by age two. Kiwanis clubs can work with health departments and medical personnel to educate parents, overcome institutional barriers, and reach out into neighborhoods.
| Funding | Hours | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Low to Moderate | Low |
Project: Alcohol Awareness for Pregnant Women
A woman who drinks regularly during pregnancy increases the possibility that her child will be born mentally retarded or physically handicapped. Many women do not realize this or do not know how to stop drinking. Working with other agencies, a Kiwanis club can educate the public and ensure that support is available to women who want to stop drinking for their babies.
| Funding | Hours | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Moderate | Low |
Project: Preventing Lead Poisoning
Very low levels of lead in a child's blood can permanently lower the child's intelligence and development. Yet lead is in old paint, water pipes, and the dirt around houses and highways Protecting children from lead requires testing and removal or coverage of the lead source.
| Funding | Hours | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate to High | Variable | Moderate |
Project: Set Up a Health Screening or Free Clinic
Health exams by a doctor and dentist make it possible to solve simple problems that could become dangerous or permanent afflictions. Some programs, such as Head Start, build in these health screenings but often don't have funding for the follow-up treatments that are needed. In other programs, the teachers or caregivers know there's a need but can't find the funding. Kiwanis clubs can help in a number of ways:
- Professional Recruitment — Find a doctor, dentist, and nurse willing to volunteer a few hours to provide screenings and immunization. Offer to pay for follow-up treatments at a reduced rate.
- Parent Recruitment — Get parents to ensure that all children in the community have the chance to participate in the program. Give them the supplies and organizational assistance to get the message out.
- Club Volunteers — The paperwork, preparation of the site, organization of the check-in lines, and other logistics should be handled by Kiwanians and parents. The club needs to make sure that the medical people lend their expertise, but do not take total control of the project.
- Materials — The club can provide funding for necessary medical supplies. In addition, it can purchase and distribute pamphlets on medical care, nutrition, and first aid. Perhaps more important, the club can bring the prizes for the children who participate in the check-up or immunization program.
- Special Event — One way to draw people to a health care project is to offer entertainment. This provides an incentive to come and helps the time pass quickly for the people standing in line. Other ways to draw a crowd are prize drawings and give-aways, a visit by a fire truck, or the presence of a sports celebrity.
- Mini Medical Missions — Kiwanis clubs in the Philippines and Latin America organize health missions to needy areas. Several club members gather materials and escort a volunteer doctor and dentist to a needy area, where they spend the day giving medical and dental treatment to people who would otherwise go without. The club announces the visit ahead of time, so that people will gather in the village for medical checkups. The club pays for the medical and dental supplies, and the doctor and dentist-and the Kiwanians-donate their time.
| Funding | Hours | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate | High | Low |
Project: Develop a Smoking Awareness Campaign for Pregnant Women
A public health expert has estimated that infant mortality would decrease by 10 percent if all pregnant women quit smoking. However, many pregnant smokers don't know they are hurting their babies or the degree to which developing fetuses can be damaged.