Heart Health Leadership Manual

Planning Your Approach

1. Start Small

Identify a single topic to start with: (eg. smoking, active living, low-fat eating, blood pressure)

You can not change the world overnight. When you start to discuss any of these areas, you will find there is much to learn ... so start small. If you can put together a group of four people who are as dedicated as you are, take a topic each.

List contacts who could help you within the community, such as:

• The president of the PTA
• your MHA
• town councillors
• restaurant owners; caterers; community event planners
• aerobics instructors; fitness counsellors
• nutritionists; dietitians
• public health nurse

All of these people and many more are in a position to help you and your community adopt a Heart Healthy Lifestyle. Like any new idea, Heart Healthy living needs to be understood and encouraged at every possible level and with every possible opportunity.

EXAMPLES:

Fitness Leaders:

With a class of people already interested in fitness, a leader can focus discussion through the class on nutrition, giving up smoking, or blood pressure monitoring. If the class does not allow for such discussion, the leader can make pamphlets available and encourage participants to take them.

Caterers, Chefs, Restaurant Owners, Convention Planners:

Appeal to these people to introduce low fat, low salt items to their menus. Challenge them to use their skills and creativity to develop newer, healthier recipes!

2. Involve your friends!

List organizations, groups and committees in which you are involved. Include every contact you have.

Organize the materials you will need to introduce your ideas to your groups. (Information on risk factors can be found in this manual.)

Set a date to show the video to your group. (ff you normally have coffee and donuts at your meeting, offer to bring a tray of raw vegetables and dip, low-salt crackers, or home-made, low-fat cookies.)

3. Infiltrate the Community

Identify community activities that provide a forum for discussion and involvement: e.g. public meetings, service group meetings (Kiwanis, Kinsmen/Kinettes, Allied Youth, Scouts, Girl Guides, Ladies Auxiliary), PTA meetings, church meetings.

Make presentations to as many groups as possible, and gather support as you go. Take names and numbers of people who are willing to help, do not wait for them to call you

4. Decide Where you Want to Go

Get your group together for an organizational session. Develop a mission statement for Heart Healthy living in your community. If you can put your goal into a few sentences, you have probably a well- defined approach.

A sample mission statement:

For an overall, long term approach:

"Our mission is to encourage members of our community to adopt a Heart Healthy lifestyle. To accomplish this, we will work together as a team, and invite interested people to help us."

For a specific no-smoking campaign:

"Our mission is to encourage people in our community to quit smoking, and to provide information and support. We will do this by enlisting the support of as many community leaders as possible, and cooperating with each other."

5. Plan Your Strategy

Once you have the people and information in place, start setting firm dates and realistic goals. Delegate responsibility to enthusiastic and energetic people. Ask your regional Health Unit to put you in touch with other Heart Health groups working in your area. Meet regularly to stay in touch, and to discuss the responses you are getting from your community. A large calendar will help keep track of things. Coordinate your plans with normal community activities.

One way to approach a plan is to break the year into seasons, and assign a topic to each. For example:

• Winter......No Smoking
• Spring......Healthy Eating
• Summer....Active Living
• Fall.........High Blood Pressure

January: The last week in January is National Non-Smoking Week. Take advantage of the after Christmas drive for health. Most people make New Year's resolution to quit smoking, eat well, start exercising, and have more fun ... Encourage them!!

February: This is Heart and Stroke Month!! Keep an eye open for special activities organized by other Heart Health groups and agencies. Check out Winter Carnivals and make sure Heart Healthy living is incorporated in their activities. Talk to organizers about distributing information on setting up blood pressure, or Body Mass Index booths.

March: It is Nutrition Month ... organize a fund day at your town hall, or community centre with a variety of physical activities and a Heart Healthy receipe competition. (Ask a dietitian or nutritionist to judge entries).

April: A good time to start a walking club. Call your regional Health Unit for a full kit to get you on your feet.

May: The last week of May is Canada's Fit Week ... make sure your school, or community is involved. Promote an alcohol-free May 24th weekend. Gardening season is back again ... selling seeds and bulbs is a good way to raise money in the spring and fall.

June: Everybody's out and walking now. Circulate low-fat recipes for those barbecue evenings ahead.

July: Organize a Heart Health Fun Run to celebrate Canada Day. On vacation? Look for Heart Smart Restaurants throughout Canada. Time to eat fresh vegetables in crisp, cool salads.

August: Time to relax and take it easy before going back to school, or work. Making plans now for a healthy lifestyle in the fall will help combat the stress of getting back to business. Sit down with the kids and plan healthy lunches for the coming school year. Save any healthy recipes that your children like ... other parents will be happy to have them!!

September: People turn over forests full of leaves every fall. Take advantage!! Offer information on quitting smoking and Heart Healthy living at your local high school. Get involved with fun runs, throughout the province usually scheduled for this time of year. Go back to work invigorated from a healthy summer, and spread the good word about Active Living.

October: Give out stickers, or tattoos instead of candy at Halloween. Get out the rake and clean up the garden. Go for a brisk fall walk. Remember Heart Healthy ideas when the PTA starts it is fundraising.

November: Hot vegetable stews are high in fibre, low in fat, and just the thing for colder days. Find Heart Healthy recipes and share them with your friends. Host a Heart Health pot luck!

December: It is colder, and the days are shorter. Time to think about Christmas. Think Heart Health throughout the season and you'll be glad you did when the tree comes down.

New Year's Eve: Usher in the New Year with a Heart Healthy bash ... time to encourage those smokers to quit. Offer more than encouragement ... plan a seminar in smoking cessation techniques. Ask a public health nurse, doctor, or representative from the Lung Association, Heart and Stroke Foundation, or Canadian Cancer Society to help plan and deliver your seminar.

6. Down the Road

Plan to look back, one year after your start date, and see what kind of progress you have made. Now is a good time to publicly recognize the people and groups who have helped, and those who have made significant progress.

REMEMBER... THE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR APPROACH. REFER OFTEN TO THE INDEX AT THE BACK OF THIS MANUAL.