Member Spotlight: Alicia Seggelink at Sulzbacher- Beaches Community Healthcare Location

Name: Alicia Seggelink
Position: Patient Advocate at Sulzbacher – Beaches Community Healthcare Location
Undergraduate Degree: Biochemistry and Spanish from Allegheny College, Meadville, PA
Hometown: Little Chute, WI
Currently Reading: Middlemarch by George Eliot

Whether you are someone who considers the glass to be half full or half empty, no optimist or pessimist can deny that this service term is half over for us. By this time, we have all really hit our stride here at our host sites, and I am excited to say that everything is going smoothly at the Sulzbacher Center-Beaches Community Healthcare location. Duval County has the sixth largest uninsured population in Florida, with 20% of the county residents having no health insurance coverage. Homeless and transitional residents are acutely at risk of going for years without medical care. The patients of the Sulzbacher center can now address health problems that may have or will develop into serious illness. Chronic diseases of the heart, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, are rampant in the homeless community. The medical services of the two Sulzbacher clinics are designed as part of a community-wide “safety net” of health care providing primary and preventive care to the underserved population.

Member Spotlight: Anneke Demmink

Name: Anneke Demmink

Position: Clinical Health Educator

Degree: Psychology and Sociology from UNC

Hometown: Roaring Gap, NC

Favorite part of Jacksonville:  Living in the Riverside area

Currently working on:  Applications to graduate school programs for my Masters in Public Health.

I am currently serving as an AmeriCorps member with the North Florida Health Corps. As a Clinical Health Educator with the Maternal and Child Health Division of the Duval County Health Department, I provide education about reproductive and sexual health topics and family planning services to the community of Jacksonville, Florida. In addition to health education, I conducted pre- and post-test counseling for HIV screenings. My services are split between Jacksonville Job Corps, a federally funded vocational program for youth, and the Rainbow Center at Shands Hospital which is primarily a clinic for HIV positive individuals.
During the first four months of my service term I have accomplished a great deal. These accomplishments include personal growth, as well as the growth of knowledge within the community I am serving as a result of my health education efforts. I strongly believe that I am learning as much from this experience as my clients are learning from their sessions with me. I am gaining invaluable perspective and insights from the conversations and opportunities I get to participate in as a part of my AmeriCorps service.  I am more culturally aware and informed than I have ever been. In addition, my communication skills have vastly improved as well as my sensitivity to health topics. Perhaps the most beneficial of all, is my increased awareness of the type of health issues the underserved community of Jacksonville faces everyday.

Anneke demonstrates how to properly use a condom.

The community of Jacksonville is a special one.  Many of its youth are eager to learn and better their own lives given the knowledge and appropriate tools to do so. Thus has been my experience serving at Jacksonville Job Corps.  The students that attend Job Corps are there for one reason: To gain the skills and certifications that will make them more employable and able to succeed in the workforce. A large number of these youth never finished high school and will be working towards achieving their GED as well as other certifications such as Certified Nurse Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Computer Science Technician, and more. In my experience, many these students are not only eager to become more employable, but they are also ready to take responsibility for their health and well-being.  This is an important step in bettering their own lives that will have a lasting impact on their future.
For many of these students, I am the first person to have an open and honest conversation with them about sexual and reproductive health. I take great pride in knowing that I am giving these students information that will encourage them to make decisions in such a way that promotes a safe and healthy sexual experience. It is difficult to expect people to behave in health conscious and responsible ways without providing them adequate information and knowledge to do so. I consider myself lucky enough to be one of the people helping to spread this knowledge that can directly improve the well-being and health of the Jacksonville community. It’s inspiring how receptive my clients are to the information I provide them. Their positive responses and feedback give me direct proof that what I am doing is making a difference. There’s nothing more satisfying or encouraging as that.

Home Away From Home Holiday Experience

It’s that time of year again: "The Happiest Time of Year," might I add. The holiday season is upon us and the pressure is on!

As a NFHC AmeriCorps member, I understand the many stresses that accompany the holiday season. With only so many personal leave days a year and a bank account that isn't quite up to par, it can be nearly impossible to go home for the holidays. But fear not! I've had many amazing, fulfilling holidays away from home and am here to share some of my tips so that you to can make the most of the sugarplum season! This year, AmeriCorps members will open up presents, create yummy dishes, and start new memories right here in Jacksonville, Florida!

Although we may not be able to participate in familiar traditions, there are still ways to feel joy and experience the season's magic. Here are some useful tips members will utilize for a "Home Away From Home" holiday experience.

Connect with Loved Ones...Virtually!

Most people have a device (Smartphone, tablet, laptop, whatever makes you feel fancy,) that allows them to connect to the world via the World Wide Web. As long as you have a camera and decent internet connection, your loved ones can be right there with you…on the computer screen. 

Skype is an amazing, FREE way to connect with those long distanced love ones. You can share a “Holiday Breakfast” together or have a decoration contest and see which place looks more festive (virtually, of course!). It’s like your family is with you except now you can turn off the screen when they start to bicker!

Expand your Taste Pallet 

Nom nom nom

Honey Baked Ham, green bean casserole, and Egg Nog are all staple dishes for the holidays. The aromas of these foods take you back to a time when you were 5 years old and the only concern was who could open up their presents the fastest. Unfortunately, times have changed and we can’t always make it home for those familiar smells (I definitely can’t cook a ham by myself!), so it’s time to create our own holiday dishes. Host a potluck! Invite friends, colleagues, and neighbors over to share in an awesome feast. Tell everyone to bring a dish (traditional or non-traditional) and prepare some fun games to play (Apples to Apples, Charades, and a White Elephant gift exchange). You’ll be introduced to other people’s traditions and be able to create your own in the process.

Spread a little cheer

You don’t get that warm and fuzzy holiday feeling by standing in long lines at stores or diminishing your bank account. Step outside of your comfort zone and do a little bit more giving of yourself rather than products this year—not only does it make you feel good, but someone else as well. Try and volunteer at a local soup kitchen on Christmas Eve, or create a care package for a family in need. This puts everything in perspective of how precious life is and what there is to be thankful for. Thanksgiving morning I ran in the “Turkey Trot 5k”, a “Feed the Hungry” fundraiser that raises money for local food and homeless shelters in Vero Beach.  Not only did I get a great work-out but I was able to contribute to a meaningful cause.

So don’t stress if your holiday season doesn’t live up to your childhood memories. You have the ability to make the best of any situation and find ways to have a happy holiday, even if all you do is add some marshmallows to your hot cocoa!

Happy Holidays, where ever you are!

---Tatiana Giustizia

Vegging Out While Volunteering

A few fabulous NFHC Corps members spent their Saturday serving the community and learning new things at the Northeast Florida VegFest.

The Third Annual Northeast Florida VegFest, presented by The Girls Gone Green and Northeast Florida Vegetarian Society took place November 3, 2012 at Riverside Park in Jacksonville. The event was free to the public and promoted healthy, sustainable, plant-based nutrition.

The event had many local vegan and vegetarian food vendors, farmers, environmental organizations and animal rescues. There were many cooking demonstrations and tasty samples to try!

Health Corps members were busy throughout the day helping hand out samples of healthy foods and getting creative in the kids zone. Crafts included making magic with environmentally friendly wands, recycled magazine collages, and toilet paper tube owls.

Sarah & Anneke in the Kids Zone. Photo Courtesy of the Girls Gone Green

"I think that eating healthier is very important. The VegFest was a great way to show the community about healthier eating options and expose people to alternative products that are not as harmful to the environment or our bodies. And it was in a great location! 

I volunteered at the Kid Zone and helped kids make environmentally friendly crafts with recycled material and vegan paint. I enjoyed the experience! The kids made some really cute little critters." -- Anneke Demmink 

Running before we could walk

Our service term has started and we’re in full swing! While we settle into our host sites and get to know our mentors, we’re also learning a great deal about Jacksonville and the needs and interests of the community.

Members Krystal Kelly, Sheila Rahimpour, and Lauren Hudak
work on the siding of Habitat for Humanity home.
Photo by Tatiana Giustizia

The North Florida Health Corps has already begun making a difference in Jax with not one, but two Saturdays at Beaches Habitat for Humanity. Our members sported hard hats and got their hands dirty in order to provide affordable housing for low-income families.

"My favorite part was helping to build a house. I did not think I could do that type of work, but I was able to contribute to the project, which was a good feeling. It was a fun and positive experience."
-Sheila Rahimpour

Our outside service impact doesn’t stop there. NFHC members have found a variety of ways to serve the community with events like the Girls Gone Green “VegFest” and training in Question, Persuade, and Refer suicide prevention with Florida Youth Suicide Prevention. Look for posts about these soon!

We’re looking forward to a fun, service-filled term with plenty of news to keep our reader’s updated!

If you are in the Jacksonville, FL area and your organization would like to partner on a health-related service project, please contact us.

- Abby Bradford

What is the North Florida Health Corps?

The North Florida Health Corps is a program of the National Health Corps AmeriCorps program. The program began in Jacksonville in 2004 with the mission of helping to fulfill unmet healthcare needs and to decrease disparities in the local healthcare system. The North Florida Health Corps is administered by the Duval County Health Department's Maternal and Child Health Division in partnership with local community agencies. NFHC members serve in health care and public health settings and provide a variety of health-related services. Whether serving the homeless population, HIV/AIDS patients, children, the uninsured, or other underserved individuals, Jacksonville is full of opportunities for Corps members.

NFHC members live and serve primarily in Jacksonville, Florida. Host sites and services are located in Jacksonville and adjacent counties (Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns).