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                Contributed/Lehigh Valley Community Foundation and United Way of the Greater Lehigh ValleyIn the Lehigh Valley, 105,000 people rely on SNAP benefits for food assistance. One in four of them is a child. When federal safety nets falter, the charitable food network becomes the community’s last line of defense. It requires collaboration, leadership and shared purpose.
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                Brian Myszkowski/LehighValleyNews.comAbout 400 Allentown families came to The Salvation Army for The Give Back resource event Wednesday, where they received shelf-stable food, daily necessities, and more, just as federal assistance benefits are about to be cut off.
Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute now offers treatment for atrial fibrillation (AFib) with a new system that uses pulsed electrical fields to target problematic heart muscle cells instead of extreme heat or cold.
        
        
    Health & Wellness News
    
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                        Allentown’s first ever Community Health Needs Assessment is out. Three areas have been identified as the highest priority and include loneliness and social isolation, safe, stable and affordable housing, and upward economic mobility.
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                        The 36 individuals who lost their homes after a three-alarm fire on in Allentown on Tuesday are being offered shelter and assistance at the Allentown YMCA by the American Red Cross.
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                        Avian influenza, called bird flu, is threatening poultry and dairy cows across the country. Now, local doctors are monitoring the situation closely because it could mutate and become more serious for humans.
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                        The awards announced last week complete the $155 million school safety grants program package issued by the School safety and Security Committee (SSSC) in January 2024.
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                        A local brain injury patient appeared at Home Care Lobby Day in the State Capitol this month to advocate for better wages for her home healthcare nurse. Wages for home health care employees are low and don't often get updates despite the cost of living going up.
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                        Almost 2,200 runners registered for the races that started at William Allen High School and ended at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown on Sunday. Volunteers and spectators lined the route in support of racers. (See the top finishers)
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                        For as many people in the Lehigh Valley that love coasters, there are just as many that are scared of them. A local psychologist says that overcoming fear is possible- just start slow
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                        Despite chilly temperatures, festival-goers were out in abundance.
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                        Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehab states that much of its current staff is in the form of short-term contracts, but it is optimistic it can meet new federal staffing guidelines.
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                        At 20 years old, Caroline Laubach has had more surgeries than she can count. A heart transplant two years ago gave her a second chance at life — an opportunity she celebrates each National Donate Life Month.
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                        The St. Luke's Half Marathon begins Sunday morning at William Allen High School and ends at J. Birney Crum Stadium. More than 2,000 people are registered for activities being held Saturday and Sunday, organizers say.
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                        Various state agencies came together to promote drug take-back day this weekend. People can drop off unused or outdated prescription pills at designated drop-off locations.
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                        Jefferson Health has 32 hospitals and 65,000 employees — numbers that were bolstered last year by the acquisition of Lehigh Valley Health Network.
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                        As CVS Pharmacy in Easton's South Side sets to close this April, Valley Health Partners is stepping up to provide prescription medication to the neighborhood by mid-summer.
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                        Bethlehem’s Central Moravian Church will hold a free screening of the 2023 documentary on March 10 at Frank Banko Alehouse Theatre.
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                        A donation to Essentials Café today, on Moravian Day of Giving, will help the organization continue to serve 400 breakfast and lunch meals per week to those in need in our community.
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                        More than 450 students from across Pennsylvania gathered for Aevidum Live, a conference focusing on speaking up about depression and suicide prevention, and encouraging others to help stop the stigma of mental health help.
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                        Easton legend and former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes was honored on Wednesday with a watercolor portrait for his work with St. Luke's University Health Network.
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                        Lehigh Valley Health Network and Northampton County Chiefs of Police Association are expanding a program which helps those with autism and other communication issues interact with police when stopped.
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                        There's been another attempt to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements.
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                        The U.S. Government's Medicare telehealth funding deadline is March 31. While many express concerns about its future, a local expert at St. Luke's University Health Network believes the program will be extended.
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                        The federally funded Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley served about 10,000 people last year across its five locations across the region.
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                        Flu rates are up nationally and especially in Pennsylvania. Lehigh and Northampton counties are among the Top Ten counties with influenza cases for this year's respiratory virus season, which runs through September.
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                        Lehigh Valley Health Network has confirmed they will open two new medical facilities at the former Martin Tower site, including a women's health center.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
