NASHUA – For the tenth year in a row, the City of Nashua Division of Public Health and Community Services (DPHCS), along with its many community partners, are excited to celebrate National Public Health Week from April 5th to April 11th. This year’s theme is “Building Bridges to Better Health” with the goal of building connections to make our communities a healthier and safer place for all.

In the midst of the most challenging public health crisis of our lifetimes, it’s more important than ever to celebrate the efforts of public health. This past year, the Nashua DPHCS has been in the forefront of the City of Nashua and Greater Nashua Region’s COVID-19 response using an equity lens to engage in efforts that prevent disease, mitigate adverse health outcomes, and protect the health and safety of our community. Amongst hosting testing and vaccine clinics, conducting disease investigation, and providing guidance and education to the community, the Nashua DPHCS continued to provide a range of direct services and engage partners on strategic initiatives to ensure the overall health and well being of every member of our community.

Concurrent with the pandemic, the Nashua DPHCS: hosted a half-day conference on childhood lead poisoning; increased access to services by offering mobile immunizations, STD testing, child lead testing, and syringe services; facilitated a virtual Mayor’s Opioid Task Force Legislative Breakfast; identified emerging trends in health issues through the completion of the 2020 Greater Nashua Community Health Assessment; and is currently planning the 2021-2024 Community Health Improvement Plan to support efforts that promote equity and improve the economic, physical, and social environments that affect health.

During National Public Health Week, the Nashua DPHCS and collaborating partners will raise awareness of public health, promote healthy behaviors, and, of course, have fun! We will celebrate the power of prevention, advocate for healthy and fair policies, share strategies for successful partnerships, and champion the role of a strong public health system.

The Nashua DPHCS will kick off Public Health Week in Greater Nashua with a virtual proclamation reading on Monday, April 5th at 1:30 PM by the City of Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess, accompanied by the Director of Nashua DPHCS, Bobbie D. Bagley. We encourage our community to meet us on Facebook Live at Facebook.com/NashuaDPHCS for this event.

Throughout the rest of the week, we will be hosting outreach tables at various community organizations, including the YMCA, Greater Nashua Mental Health, United Way of Greater Nashua, Nashua PAL,

Revive Recovery, Harbor Care, and more. We are also featuring diverse training and educational opportunities in Greater Nashua on our website. All featured activities are free to the public, celebrate local public health efforts, and follow public health safety guidelines. Some of the activities include:

• Virtual Career Panel hosted by the New Hampshire Public Health Association on Tuesday, April 6th from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. This webinar is geared toward students, recent graduates, and early career professionals. It will feature a variety of public health professionals to describe diverse public health careers.

• Zoom Bingo for All Ages hosted by the Rodgers Public Library on Wednesday, April 7th from 3:30 to 5 PM. Invite the family to play virtual Bingo for the chance to win prizes!

• Virtual Intro to Genealogy hosted by the Merrimack Public Library on Wednesday, April 7th from 6:30 to 8 PM. Participants will learn to explore their heritage with this introductory session to genealogy to get the most out of family history research.

• Hooked: Narratives of Addiction, Recovery, and Redemption hosted by Wadleigh Memorial Library on Thursday, April 8th from 6:30 to 8 PM. In the midst of New Hampshire’s opioid crisis, we are far from the time when addiction was an unfamiliar and taboo subject. Narratives of addiction and recovery have become their own genre. This talk will explore common stories about addiction, looking at whether some stories might create barriers and how to inform our understanding of and response to addiction.

• Virtual Chair Yoga, Meditation, and Stress Relief hosted by the Aaron Cutler Memorial Library on Thursday, April 8th at 10:30 AM. Take some time for yourself and join for an hour of gentle chair yoga and guided meditation.

• Public Health Webinars hosted by the American Public Health Association are recorded and available to watch on your own time.

Although most events will be held virtually, we encourage all who attend any in-person activities to celebrate safely by wearing a face covering, staying six feet away from people you do not live with, avoiding large crowds, and washing your hands often. Also listed on our website are a variety of videos and interactive games to allow our community to take a deeper dive into the field of public health. For more details and a full listing of Public Health Week activities in Greater Nashua, please visit NashuaNH.gov/DPHCS.

Connect with us on Facebook (NashuaDPHCS), Twitter (@NashuaPHealth), and Instagram (@nashuadphcs) to learn more and engage in conversation during this week. If you have any questions, contact Nicole Chute, Health Promotion and Communication Specialist at the Nashua DPHCS, at chuten@nashuanh.gov or 603-589-4508. For more information about National Public Health Week and how other communities are celebrating across the nation, visit NPHW.org.

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