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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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                        Mothers brought photos of their sons and daughters as they shared fond memories at the bereavement gathering held on May 4 at Third and Ferry Fish Market.
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                        Jace Pooley, 16, recently wrote an article about his experience with autism for Pediatrics, a scholarly journal. Today, he's leading the First Annual Autism Community Walk in Bethlehem.
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                        Local healthcare providers and legislators appeared a press conference at Valley Youth House in Bethlehem to shed light on children’s mental health issues and to advocate for continued state and federal funding.
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                        The study by the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Allentown also found considerable differences in public health opinions along political party affiliations.
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                        Former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine to speak at Bradbury-Sullivan Health SummitDr. Rachel Levine, who as the first transgender person approved by the U.S. Senate served as U.S. assistant health secretary, will be keynote speaker for Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center's annual health summit.
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                        Cancer caused 66% of the career firefighter line-of-duty deaths from 2002 to 2019, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters. In his 2025-26 budget proposal, Gov. Josh Shapiro hopes to pay for firefighters' annual cancer screenings at the state level.
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                        Gov. Josh Shapiro was at Memorial Fire Station in West Bethlehem on Friday to share how his proposed 2025-26 budget would support fire companies statewide.
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                        This Saturday, Blue Zones Project-Allentown will host a free event to educate people on simple strategies which could help improve their health and happiness.
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                        Legislators, community members, and nonprofits came together in Allentown Thursday to discuss the need to raise awareness of sex trafficking and the support required by its victims.
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                        Follow the journey of an adolescent boy living with PANDAS, a rare condition that causes sudden, severe psychiatric symptoms after a strep infection. He and his family navigate the challenges of this condition and find hope through treatment in the Lehigh Valley.
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                        U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, defended the Trump administration's tariff policy and DOGE cuts during the 90-minute CNN "Town Hall: America Asks Congress" on Thursday night.
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                        Easterseals Eastern Pennsylvania celebrated its 100th anniversary at a luncheon at Lehigh Country Club on Wednesday afternoon.
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                        Fountain Hill native Evelyn Smith gives a nod to living a good, simple and long life, with family and close friends for a pre-birthday celebration.
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                        The second annual Greenway Pride event in Bethlehem drew a warm crowd despite the damp weather. Attendees said the Lehigh Valley needs more events and places that cater to the region's LGBT community.
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                        Northampton County Council tabled a measure Thursday night that would declare the county a “sanctuary” for abortion access.
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                        Changes to breast cancer screening recommendations are out from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. A Lehigh Valley Health Network physician is calling for more frequent screenings than those in the updated recommendations.
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                        Reporters Ryan Gaylor and Brittany Sweeney talk about a Bethlehem school resource officer arraigned on multiple sex crimes and a merger between LVHN and Jefferson University Hospital.
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                        Northampton Community College hosted the Lehigh Valley’s annual Safety & Health Expo. The Lehigh Valley Safety Committee welcomes people from around the area to the free event.
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                        A new behavioral health hospital is being built in Hanover Township, Northampton County. Ground was broken Wednesday for Lehigh Valley Health Network’s new facility on the LVHN-Muhlenberg campus.
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                        The merger is expected to be finalized later in the summer. Once fully approved, the two health care behemoths will form a partnership resulting in a regional provider overseeing 30 hospitals and more than 700 outpatient care sites.
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                        The Allentown branch of the Greater Valley YMCA is back open following a fire last June. The reopening Monday brought back regulars for workouts — and the public can try it out for free through the end of May.
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                        Easton Public Market will celebrate its eighth anniversary on Friday, May 17, with a special party featuring vendors, the band A Few Good Men, and a fundraiser benefiting Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital.
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                        Good Shepherd Rehabilitation is hosting a stroke risk screening event. About every 40 seconds someone has a stroke in the United States, but the health condition is preventable.
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                        The powerful animal tranquilizer is showing up in supplies of illicit drugs and is contributing to a growing number of overdose deaths, including in the Lehigh Valley.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
