Free Child Car Seat Check-ups

DERBY - Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley, Griffin Hospital and D’Addario Automotive Group of Shelton are teaming up to offer free child car seat checkups on Sat., July 14 from 10 a.m.-noon at D’Addario, 329 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton.

 

Child car seat experts will check seats to make sure they are installed correctly and provide proper protection.

 

To sign up or for more information, contact Cathi Kellett at 203-732-1337 or ckellett@griffinhealth.org.

 

(This is a press release from Griffin Hospital)

Griffin to Host Safe Kids Day

DERBY- Griffin, Safe Kids to Host Safe Kids Day Monday, April 30

 

WHAT: In recognition of National Safe Kids Day, Griffin Hospital in Derby and Safe Kids

Greater Naugatuck Valley will host an interactive safety fair Mon., April 30 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

at the hospital, 130 Division St., Derby. Safe Kids Day is a day to celebrate kids and take action

to keep kids safe. Many people are surprised to learn that injuries from car crashes, fires,

drownings, poisonings, and falls are the top health threats to children in the United States.

Throughout the world, an estimated 1 million children die of injuries each year, and nearly all of

these tragedies are preventable. Visitors to the Safe Kids Day safety fair will learn about the

many free Safe Kids programs offered in their community to help keep children safe.

 

WHEN: MONDAY, APRIL 30 from 10 a.m.

 

WHERE: Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Derby, CT 06418

 

WHO: Representatives from Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley and Griffin Hospital, and

children and parents from the area

 

(This is a press release from Griffin Hospital)

Valley Volunteers Honored

Cathi Kellett and Officer Mike Barry

DERBY - Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition recently marked its 5^th anniversary and honored its dedicated volunteers with a dinner at Griffin Hospital in Derby.

 

Operating within Griffin Hospital’s Community Outreach Program, Safe Kids Naugatuck Valley is part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to help families and communities keep kids safe from injuries.

The local program was became a chapter 2004 and developed into a coalition under Safe Kids CT. In 2013, the program grew to include many Naugatuck Valley towns and became its own stand-alone coalition.



Cathi Kellett and Michele Holovach

 

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition educates children and adults on variety of health and safety programs to reduce unintentional injuries among children. Program topics include anti-bullying, germ protection, teen distracted driving, bicycle and wheeled sport safety, anti-tobacco use, child passenger safety, exercise and sports safety, and internet safety.

 

Ansonia Police Officer Michael Barry, and Michele Holovach and Jamie Peterson, of TEAM, Inc., received the Volunteer Excellence Award.

 

Officer Barry has volunteered with Safe Kids since 2006 and has been very active in programs involving child passenger safety, teen driving, pedestrian safety, poison prevention, and anti-bullying.

 

“At any given community health fair, program at Griffin Hospital or in one of the Ansonia schools, Officer Barry offers his guidance, support, expertise - and most of all his time - to bring quality programs to our community to ensure safe, happy and healthy children and families,” said Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition Coordinator Cathi Kellett.

 

Holovach and Peterson have been essential in coordinating with Head Start classrooms in Ansonia, Derby, Shelton, Seymour, and Beacon Falls, to bring Safe Kids’ health and safety programs to more than 250 students every month throughout the school year. Additionally, they support major grant projects to fit every child with a new car seat and bike helmet, provide concussion protocols and water safety programs, and educate parents and caregivers at regular dinners throughout the year.

 

“Their collaboration is instrumental in keeping Safe Kids constantly moving forward.” Kellett said. “They are a vital part of our success.”

 

For more information about Safe Kids Naugatuck Valley, visit griffinhealth.org/safe-kids or contact Kellett at 203-732-1337 or ckellett@griffinhealth.org.

 

(This is a press release from Griffin Hospital)

Valley United Way supports driver safety program

Pedal carts, seen here at a Children’s Health and Safety Fair, are used to teach teens about distracted and drunk driving and younger children about pedestrian safety. / Contributed photo

DERBY - The Valley United Way is helping Griffin Hospital’s Valley Parish Nurse Program and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley “drive” home the dangers of distracted driving to teenagers.
 

The Valley United Way’s Special Needs Grants Program recently awarded Safe Kids and the Valley Parish Nurses $2,000 to purchase an additional pedal cart and key chains for their Teen Safe Driving Program.

The pedal carts will be used to show teenagers how difficult it is to drive and text at the same time and how blurred vision caused by drinking makes driving extremely dangerous. 
The new pedal cart will also be used for the Safe Kids’ Pedestrian Safety Program to teach younger children how difficult it is for a car to stop at fast speeds, so they know to take precautions when crossing the street.

The flashlight key chains have “Friends don’t let friends drive distracted” imprinted on them and will be given to teenagers as a constant reminder when they get behind the steering wheel.

“The pedal carts help us educate teens and children because it’s interactive,” said Cathi Kellett, Special Programs Coordinator for the VPN. “If you have that hands-on component, they understand more about driving and road safety than just reading a pamphlet.”

The Valley United Way Special Needs Grant program is designed to provide funding for special needs or new programs. Funding for the program comes from donors who have expressed an interest in funding areas of importance to them, including health, education and graduation, income, elder care basic needs, youth and recreation, and housing and shelter.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Valley parents urged to prepare kids for Halloween safety

Children twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day

DERBY - Halloween might be scary for different reasons than you think. 

On average, twice as many kids are killed while walking on Halloween than on any other day of the year. 

With a few tips and tricks, kids can stay safe while out walking. 

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley, Griffin Hospital Valley Parish Nurse Program, and FedEx® urge parents to prepare their children to walk safely, and remind drivers to be particularly alert this Halloween.

“On Halloween, more children are on the street after dark than normal, and they are so excited that they may run out into the street without thinking,” said Cathi Kellett of Griffin Hospital and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley. 

“Drivers need to take extra care and slow down on neighborhood roads. And, of course, it’s very important that drivers put down mobile devices to avoid distraction.”

Safe Kids and FedEx are teaming up to keep kids safe on Halloween. Across the country, 156 Safe Kids Coalitions, with support from FedEx volunteers, will provide reflective materials and safety information to children and parents. 

Children are encouraged to wear the reflective material on Halloween night to increase their visibility to drivers.

“Parents need to talk to their children about watching out for cars while trick-or-treating,” Kellett said.  "And make sure that their costume has something reflective on it so cars can see them. You could even have kids put on a glow stick necklace or a reflective slap bracelet.”

Safe Kids and FedEx recommend these top tips to keep kids safe on Halloween.

Top safety tips for kids:

• Costumes can be both creative and safe. The most important thing is to make sure you can be seen by drivers. Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors. Masks can obstruct your vision, so choose non-toxic face paint and make-up whenever possible. Carry glow sticks or flashlights so you can see better, as well as be seen by drivers.
• Cross the street safely at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross.
• Put electronic devices down and keep heads up and walk, don’t run, across the street.

• Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.

• Slow down and stay alert - Watch out for cars that are turning or backing up and don’t dart out into the street or cross in between parked cars.

Top safety tips for drivers:

• Slow down in residential neighborhoods. Remember that popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

• Be especially alert and take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.

• Reduce any distractions inside your car, such as talking on the phone or eating, so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.

In 2000, Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley and program sponsor FedEx launched the Walk This Way Program in the United States to educate motorists and child pedestrians and create safer, more walkable communities. 

Safe Kids and FedEx address the issue through research, physical improvements to school zones, and education and awareness campaigns throughout the year.

For more tips on how to help kids become safer pedestrians on Halloween, and throughout the year, visit www.safekids.org and visit our Facebook page at www.griffinhealth.org.

About Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Its members include local schools, fire, police and EMS in the Valley, Griffin Hospital and the Valley Parish Nurse Program.  Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley was founded in 2004 and is led by Griffin Hospital and the Valley Parish Nurse Program. For more information, visit safekids.org or call 203.732.1337.

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $45 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 300,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. 

For more information, visit news.fedex.com.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital. 

Families invited to free carnival in Shelton

This is always a great event!

Child booster car seat training slated in Derby

Sponsored by Safe Kids, Griffin Hospital, state

DERBY - Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley, Griffin Hospital and the CT Department of Public Health are teaming to offer free training on child booster car seats and a booster seat giveaway from 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 11 in Griffin’s Dining Room, 130 Division St.

This two-hour training will help answer questions about kids in booster seats. At the end of this training, participants will receive a free high back booster seat and instruction on proper use.

To be eligible for the giveaway, participants must have a child that weighs between 40 to 80 pounds and is between 42 and 57 inches tall.
Also, the participant’s vehicle must have lap-shoulder seat belts in the back seat.

The free seats are limited, so the class will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
To register or for more information, call Cathi at 203-732-1337 no later than April 8. Please have the age, weight and height of your child.
Enrollment will be capped at 36 booster seats, but a wait list will be taken for families after that. Attendance at the entire two-hour class is mandatory to receive the booster seat.
Parking will be free and a light supper will be served.

Car seat initiative gets funding boost

DERBY - Griffin Hospital and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley recently received several grants
to help provide child car-seat training and free child car seats to the community.

The CT Department of Public Health awarded Griffin and Safe Kids a grant to purchase 20 booster car seats, which will be distributed in a free training event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 11 at Griffin’s Dining Room, 130 Division St.

At the end of a two-hour training session, participants will receive a free highback booster seat and instruction on proper use.
To be eligible for the giveaway, participants must have a child that weighs between 40 to 80 pounds and is between 42 and 57 inches tall.
Also, the participant’s vehicle must have lap-shoulder seat belts in the back seat.

A Safe Kids Worldwide “Start Safe” grant has provided 16 child car seats.
The Griffin Safe Kids Chapter was one of just 17 across the country to receive this funding.
The seats will be distributed through a car seat clinic at the Head Start TEAM Early Care and Education Center in Ansonia.

The third grant comes from Valley United Way Special Needs program. This $1,100 grant will purchase car seats for special needs children.

For information about the car seat distribution or to register for the April 11 event, call Cathi Kellett, 203-732-1337. Please have the age, weight, and height of your child.

This information is taken from a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Safe Kids, FedEx offer Halloween safety tips

On average, twice as many kids are killed while walking on Halloween than on other days of the year. But with some simple precautions, kids can stay safe.
Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley, Griffin Hospital and FedEx urge parents to prepare children to act safely and drivers to be particularly alert.

“Parents need to talk to kids about safety before they go out trick-or-treating,” said Cathi Kellett, Coordinator, Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley. "Many kids will be out trick-or-treating while it is dark when it is more difficult for drivers to see them. There are several easy and effective behaviors that parents can share with kids to help reduce their risk of injury. For example, children younger than age 12 should not be alone crossing streets on Halloween without an adult. If older kids are mature enough to go trick-or-treating without adult supervision, parents should make sure they go in a group and stick to a predetermined route with good lighting.”

In preparation for Halloween, Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley will team up with Walk This Way program sponsor FedEx to provide kids with reflective materials to promote visibility, including zipper tags that can be attached to costumes and trick-or-treat bags, as well as important safety information for children, parents, and drivers.

Drivers need to be extra alert as there will be more children on the streets and sidewalks – and those kids may be focused on gathering candy and caught up in the excitement of the holiday rather than being careful while crossing streets. "Safe Kids and FedEx urge drivers to slow down on neighborhood roads to make Halloween more enjoyable for everyone, but also to help save lives," Kellett said.

Top safety tips Safe Kids and FedEx recommend for parents:

• Cross the street safely at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. Look left, right and left again when crossing and keep looking as you cross. Walk, don’t run, across the street.
• Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible. Children should walk on direct routes with the fewest street crossings.
• Slow down and stay alert - watch out for cars that are turning or backing up and never dart out into the street or cross in between parked cars.
• Costumes can be both creative and safe. Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors. Masks can obstruct a child's vision, so choose non-toxic face paint and make-up whenever possible instead. Have kids carry glow sticks or flashlights in order to see better, as well as be seen by drivers.

Top safety tips Safe Kids and FedEx recommend for drivers:

• Slow down in residential neighborhoods. Remember that popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
• Be especially alert and take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.
• Reduce any distractions inside your car, such as talking on the phone or eating, so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.

In 1999, Safe Kids Worldwide and program sponsor FedEx created the Safe Kids Walk This Way program in the United States to teach safe behaviors to motorists and child pedestrians and create safer, more walkable communities.
Every day, more than 75,000 FedEx vehicles are on the road, sharing the streets with pedestrians, fueling the company's dedication to pedestrian safety and sharing the lessons of safe driving that FedEx has learned over the past 39 years.
Over the past 13 years, the Walk This Way program has expanded to include Brazil, Canada, China, India, Mexico, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines where it has educated more than four million children.


Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Its members include local police, fire, EMS, schools, LNV Boys & Girls Clubs, TEAM Headstart, Derby Elks, and VSAAC. Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley was founded in 2004 and is led by Griffin Hospital and the Valley Parish Nurses.
For information, visit safekids.org.

This is taken from a release from Griffin Hospital.

Valley coalition to raise awareness of pedestrian safety

Oct. 3 is International Walk to School Day

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley and Griffin Hospital in Derby will join local schoolchildren and FedEx volunteers Wednesday to raise awareness about pedestrian safety on International Walk to School Day.

In the Valley an educational event will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at John C. Mead Elementary School, 75 Ford St., Ansonia.

More than 250,000 children across the United States will participate in the annual event to learn about walking safely and encourage the creation of safe walking environments.

“On International Walk to School Day, parents and caregivers both teach and model safe pedestrian behavior,” said Cathi Kellett, Coordinator, Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley. “It is one thing to tell students about pedestrian safety, but by walking with them on International Walk to School Day, we can show them proper behaviors and give them the tools to be safer pedestrians."

This fall, Safe Kids released a report titled “Walking Safely, A Report to the Nation,” a 15-year trend report which examined child pedestrian injuries and deaths in the U.S.
The report revealed that while walking safety has improved overall for children since 1995, there are still a staggering number of children hit by cars.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among children ages 3 to 14.  More than 61 children are injured every day severely enough to seek medical attention and more than 500 children are killed every year.

“International Walk to School Day is a great opportunity for students to learn how to remain injury-free as they walk to and from school,” Kellett added. “No child should be put in danger simply because they are walking to school or around their neighborhood.”

In 1999, Safe Kids Worldwide and program sponsor FedEx created the Safe Kids Walk This Way Program in the United States to teach safe behaviors to motorists and child pedestrians and create safer, more walkable communities. This year will mark the 13th anniversary of the program.
Safe Kids coalitions across the country will work with over 1,000 elementary schools to hold events for children on how to walk safely and recognize pedestrian dangers.
“Safety is one of our company’s core values, and we have been dedicated to improving child pedestrian safety through the Safe Kids Walk This Way program for over a decade,” said Rose Flenorl, Manager of FedEx Global Citizenship.
“Our team members work hand-in-hand with Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley to teach Ansonia children how to stay safer when they walk. Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley does a wonderful job in our community and we look forward to supporting them as they make walking safer for everyone.”

About Safe Kids
Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States.

Its members include local police, fire, EMS, schools, LNV Boys & Girls Clubs, TEAM Headstart, Derby Elks, and Valley Substance Abuse Action Council.

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury.
Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley was founded in 2004 and is led by Griffin Hospital and the Valley Parish Nurses.
For information, visit safekids.org.


The above is taken from a press release from Griffin Hospital.