For nearly 25 years, WithinReach has taken the lead in statewide efforts to improve and streamline programs that promote health education and disease prevention among vulnerable families. From Wenatchee to Walla Walla and Spokane to Sequim, WithinReach worked with local and state partners on issues that have enormous impact on families with young children.
Our 2010 Impact
Through collaborative partnerships, WithinReach is able to effectively address the common barriers to health that families face.
- Lack of employer support is cited as one of the most common reasons why new mothers stop breastfeeding when they return to work. Working with our partners, WithinReach implemented a national outreach plan to educate employers about the benefits of breastfeeding and how they can improve worksite support for breastfeeding mothers.
- We helped childcare providers across the state get essential training on the importance of immunizations. WithinReach developed a distance-learning continuing education course in partnership with the Snohomish Health District. The course was completed by over 265 child care providers from 33 counties.
- With the help of King County Agricultural Programs, state agencies, farmers markets, farmers and Seattle-King County Public Health, WithinReach expanded access to locally-grown and healthy foods by developing a way for merchants at local farmers markets to accept WIC and Basic Food benefits.
- We improved local capacity to feed hungry kids during the summer by developing an online toolkit on the Summer Meals program. By providing year-round support, WithinReach helped ensure that children, who lacked access to free and reduced meals while school was out, do not go hungry during summer months.
- WithinReach facilitated the creation of community-led councils to address the high incidence of hepatitis B in Asian Pacific Islander, Vietnamese, and Ethiopian communities. Together with our partners in these communities, we developed culturally-approgriate presnetations, educational materials and screening events to empower local communities to share inforamtion about hepatitis B and how to prevent it.