PAHOKEE — The Healthier Glades organization conducted an hourlong online forum Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 2, to get information to people about how to ensure they and their families have a safe holiday season during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Representatives from the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Department (PBCFR) and the county Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) joined HG Executive Director Annie Ifill and Colin Walke, director of the Bridges of Pahokee and Belle Glade, for a “Glades Community Update,” a program the HG hosts regularly on its Facebook page.

On Tuesday, Dec. 1, the HG and other groups had marked World AIDS Day with a Zoom meeting to disseminate the latest information on that worldwide epidemic, which still continues (although these days the disease is mostly controllable with medication “cocktails,” and a quasi-vaccine is available). That Healthier Glades panel featured Elizabeth P. Robinson as moderator; she is executive director of the Minority AIDS Initiatives Network Inc. Other participants, who contributed a Palm Beach County perspective on that malady, were Dr. Monica Roundtree-Cleckley, DNP, health practitioner with the Premier Medical Center of Boynton Beach; Denise Brown, human services program specialist with the Florida Department of Health; and Ethel Watson, a community advocate.

Ifill said, “I remember as a high school student at Glades Central when the Glades was stereotyped as the ‘AIDS capital of the world’ and the stigma that came with it. The Glades has made great strides in combating AIDS in our community. Please encourage everyone within your circle to know their status and get tested.”

Be safe for the holidays

Wednesday’s forum was geared toward all who will be celebrating the winter holidays of whatever religion, such as Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, that occur during December.

The panel discussion, in which questions were posed via Facebook Messenger, was moderated by Walke, a former Pahokee mayor. He introduced their guests, including Ifill; Cylenthia Mann, director of Bridges at Pahokee; and “a special guest today, our PBSO captain for the Belle Glade community, Captain Eric Payne of PBSO”; as well as a fire-rescue specialist from PBCFR.

Capt. Payne told listeners: “This holiday season will be like no other holiday season, because we have to deal with this horrible pandemic. We know that holidays can bring on stress and depression. I want to encourage everyone to practice social distancing, everyone to wear a face covering. You are going to protect a lot of people by doing those simple things.

“If you have any signs of loneliness and need someone to talk to, or you are dealing with some type of mental stress,” he went on, “please reach out to someone, anybody — just reach out and let someone know what is happening, what is going on or what you’re dealing with. We respond to all calls, whether it’s a mental breakdown or a criminal call. We respond to all calls. We would like to get you the proper help.”

Awareness is key
Payne noted several other things to remember:
• “Please lock your vehicles and don’t leave items openly on your seats ... (that is) an enticement for someone to enter your vehicle by smashing the windows. Lock them away in a safe place.
• “Know your surroundings, what’s ahead of you and what’s behind you, at all times.

• “Please remove any weapons from your vehicle and keep them inside your house.
• “If you are traveling, make sure you leave your house locked up tight, and make it look like you’re still there.”

Capt. Payne also highlighted ways to stay safe from “criminal elements” by practicing “parking lot and shopping safety.” He noted also that it’s important for parents considering gifts of small vehicles for their children: “Four-wheel vehicles driven by kids are meant to be driven only on private property ... you can’t enjoy them on the public roads; they are not authorized for use on the roads, and it is a violation of state statute.” The PBSO strictly enforces that law when deputies observe this activity.

Then Walke asked the fire-rescue specialist to speak.
He stressed that celebrants must exercise caution about decorating Christmas trees safely — especially the live ones that can dry out quickly and pose a high risk for fire (check the water daily!) — and how to ensure you don’t have a house fire that originates from holiday cooking in the presence of relatives or friends who can be a distraction. He urged:
• “Keep kids out while cooking, or enforce a 3-foot ‘kid free zone,’ to make sure they’re safely away from hot dishes, open flames, et cetera. And always, a grown-up should be attending to the cooking and keeping an eye out for everyone’s safety.
• “Do not leave dishes cooking with handles pointed toward the front of the stove or counter where you’re preparing food, because accidental spills or knockovers can easily turn into fires. No handles should be facing off the surface. Always keep a flat, solid metal cookie sheet or tight-fitting lid close by while cooking to extinguish any accidental blazes.
• “If something catches fire — cover the dish and turn off the burner,” in that order, immediately.
• “Smoke alarms are essential. Make sure they’re installed in every level of your home, in your bedroom and in your hallways, and that they have working batteries.
• “Have a fire escape plan for household members and any visitors staying over; make sure they all are aware.
• “Check doors and windows to make sure they all work; every room should have at least two exits.
• “Set a safe meeting place, some sort of landmark that is always there — so not a car or bicycle, but something stationary.
• “If there is a fire, evacuate people first — and only then call 911. If anyone is stuck or trapped, call 911 immediately. Do not carry material possessions out of the house — pitch them out of a window, even if it’s a PlayStation 5: Nothing is as precious as your life! Always remember that your life is priceless; that cannot be replaced, where a game system can be.”

He also talked about fire evacuation safety and stated that according to national statistics, nearly half of holiday decoration fires happen because decor is placed too near a heat source, such as portable heaters. A 3-foot distance is necessary, at minimum.

Mini-grants available

“Be fire smart through this time,” he advised.

Ifill talked about the HG Mini Grants program, for which the application period is open now. An information session was conducted about that offer online on Nov. 21, and it can be seen on their healthierglades.org page online.

Applicants have until 5 p.m. Dec. 16 to drop off their application and budget worksheet at any of the three Glades area library branches or to email it to healthierglades@htpbc.org. Those eligible include any organizations doing projects that center on health and wellness, storytelling or developing participation channels, as well as advocacy groups.

Ifill also said: “We’re partnerng with the FAU College of Nursing as well as some of the faith-based communities to do brain health assessments at the local churches. As you know, Alzheimer’s is on the rise in our community. A lot of us come back home to take care of a loved one who is suffering from some form of memory loss, whether it be dementia, or full-blown Alzheimer’s.

“This Sunday, Dec. 6, we will be at the First Baptist Church, located on Main Street where the fitness center is, and we’ll be offering brain health screens as well as diabetes screens. The Diabetes Coalition of PBC will be doing A1C screening. As I’ve stated in the past, it was because of that screening that I found out I was diabetic, and I didn’t know it.

“Now, more than ever, it is important to take care of your health.”

She also mentioned “one last thing — we are continuing to try to work with the residents in the community to address issues around mental and behavioral health ... after the new year we are partnering with the Criminal Justice Commission to talk about issues surrounding community policing.

“On Jan. 27, there will be a policing forum that will be held at the Belle Glade municipal center. Depending on what happens with COVID, it may be partly in-person and virtual or all virtual,” Ifill finished.

Healthier Glades is “a multi-year community driven project overseen by Healthier Together Palm Beach County (https://healthiertogetherpbc.org/our-communities/healthier-glades/) focused on supporting the behavioral health and well-being of Glades residents,” as the organization’s Facebook page describes it.

Based at 491 E. Main St., Bldg. 5, Ste. A, in Pahokee, Ifill and her Healthier Glades cohorts can be reached by calling 561-685-4829 or emailing her at annie.glades@htpbc.org.