October 17, 2015: Adolescent Health
We savored the sun as the chilly morning gave way to a very pleasant day and our longest walk of the year. This was our first walk dedicated to adolescent health, and we had the added pleasure of visiting the Farm Festival street fair to add some extra fun to the day.
We headed east and south, cutting through the East River Houses to cross the pedestrian overpass to the East River Greenway. A sunny half-circle of benches was a great place to stop for apples and bananas. And then on to our first official stop: the Adolescent Health Center. We were pleased to visit with Magali Romero-Sookram, a health educator at the Center who welcomed our families and told us all about the work they do.
Adolescent health is important because it is an opportunity to provide children with the support and resources they may need as they transition from childhood to adulthood. Some needs that can arise for some children pertain to sexual health, violence, mental health and substance abuse. The Adolescent Health Center is an amazing resource here in East Harlem because it provides for just about any need that can arise: all the above, plus dental, eye care, peer support, counseling, LGBTQ support, legal assistance, social services and more. And it’s a great place to stop by even if a person just needs someone to talk to.
Even more amazing, you don’t need an appointment, you don’t need to be a documented citizen, and it’s free if you can’t pay. The Center serves patients ages 10-22, and is open Monday-Saturday.
After a bathroom break and registering at the Center (for those interested), we headed back up Carnegie Hill, heading west and a little north to find the Manhattan Country School’s Farm Festival. We had purchased tickets for the activities ahead of time and we passed them out to the kids for all the fun activities: everything from face painting to a rock climbing wall. We met up with Dr. Maida and other friends and family and called it a day. Although, Cappy had one last stop, riding down to the Union Square Farmers Market to drop off our food waste for composting!
Another great walk!
Stats
Date: October 17, 2015
Adults: 40
Children: 76
Total: 116
Miles: 2.24
Calories: 420*
Time: about 3 hours
Co-leaders: Cappy Collins, Emma Murphy, Perry Sheffield
Special Guests: Ronald Bangiyev, Katharina Wang
*http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist4.htm
“Walking, under 2.0 mph, very slow,” 155lbs = 140 kcal/hr