ELMORE COUNTY HEALTH COALITION
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Mission /Vision: To bring together and work with community partners to empower our communities through strategic initiatives that advance equity and health for present and future generations.
Meetings: We welcome Elmore County residents from Mountain Home, Glenn’s Ferry, Pine, Featherville, Prairie, Atlanta and all in-between to join our mission. Coalition meetings occur hybrid-style on the third Thursday of every other month from noon – 1 p.m. MST. For location information or to participate, contact the ECHC Coordinator at 208-327-8547.
Elmore County Health Coalition Calendar
ECHC Application
ECHC Action Plan – Oct 2023
ECHC Executive Committee Members: Feel free to contact them to bring ideas and resources to future coalition meetings and initiatives.
- Alan Carroll: director@drhopecenter.org, 208-992-5455
- Beth Deschene: a.deschene.ctr@health.mil
- Christy Acord: elmorecountyedpro@gmail.com
Food Insecurity and Elmore County Summer Food Resources – June, 2024
Food insecurity is a condition that affects every county in the state. The USDA defines food insecurity as “a lack of consistent access to enough food to every person in a household to live an active, healthy life”. For Idahoans experiencing food insecurity, this may mean having to make the tough decision between paying for utility bills and for their child’s lunches. According to the latest Map the Meal Gap data, approximately 13% of Elmore County residents were considered to be food insecure (Feeding America, 2024). The rate is 17.9% for children in Elmore County and 24% for Hispanic Elmore County residents (Feeding America, 2024). Knowing that so many people in our county experience food insecurity, below are details on where you or your neighbors can find food assistance.
Resources for food in Elmore County while school is out for the summer:
Mountain Home – Summer Lunch Programs
- Carl Miller Park (American Legion & 10th)
- June 3 – August 8
- Monday – Friday between 12:00 – 1:00 pm
- Free for youth 1 – 18 years old; low cost for adults
- Skyview Apartments (945 W 5th N)
- June 3 – August 8
- Monday – Friday between 12:00 – 1:00 pm
- Free for youth 1 – 18 years old; low cost for adults
Glenns Ferry – Summer Breakfast & Lunch Program
- Glenns Ferry City Park
- June 10 – June 27
- Monday – Friday, breakfast between 10:00 – 10:30 am, lunch between 11:30 am – 12:15 pm
- Free for youth 1 – 18 years old; low cost for adults
Resources for food in Elmore County, year-round:
Mountain Home
- Bennett Mountain Community School Pantry (560 E Jackson Street)
- Food pantry
- Open 2nd Wednesday of the month, 3:30 – 5:00 pm
- Calvary Chapel Fellowship of Mountain Home (405 N Main Street)
- Food pantry, senior food boxes (registration required)
- Open 3rd Monday of the month, 4:00 – 6:00 pm and 3rd Tuesday of the month, 10:00 – 11:00 am (senior boxes only)
- El-Ada CAP (585 N 3rd East)
- Food pantry
- Open Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 – 4:30 pm
- Vincent de Paul – Our Lady of Good Counsel (342 East Jackson Street)
- Food pantry, meal site
- Open 4th Tuesday of the month 4:00 – 5:30 pm and community dinners given during drive thru
- The Rock Church (315 S 4th E)
- Meal site
- Open Sunday at 1:00 pm
- Mountain Home Senior Citizen Center (1000 N. 3rd E.)
- Meal site: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 12pm
- Meals on Wheels delivered meals available for homebound seniors
- Mountain Home Mobile Pantry – Optimist Park (N 23rd Street)
- Mobile pantry
- Open last Thursday of the month, 12:30 – 2:30 pm
Glenns Ferry
- Glenns Ferry Mobile Pantry – Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall (132 E 5th Street)
- Mobile pantry
- Open 4th Tuesday of the month, 10:00 – 11:00 am
- Three Island Pantry (468 E Cleveland Road)
- Food pantry, meal site, and senior food boxes (registration required)
- Open 2nd Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday of month 9:00 – 11:00 am
Pine
- South Fork Boise River Senior Center (350 N Pine-Featherville Road)
- Food pantry, meal site
- Open 3rd Monday of the month 11:00 am – 1:00 pm (pantry) and Tuesdays 12:00 – 1:00 pm (meal site)
Cooking and Nutrition Classes:
Cooking Matters classes are popping up in Elmore County! Cooking Matters is a national nutrition education program that teaches people facing food insecurity hands-on cooking skills with recipes and foods that can typically be found at a food pantry. The class runs once per week for 6 weeks and teaches skills such as: how to read a recipe and nutrition labels cutting, stovetop cooking, measuring. Participants of the class will leave with new skills and a full belly. The next Cooking Matters for Families class is at the VFW Hall in Glenns Ferry. Classes go from June 5th through July 10th and are on Wednesday evenings from 5:00pm – 6:30pm. Please reach out to Mindy Curran (986) 200-2469 to sign up for the class or to learn more.
If you live outside of Elmore County and need help with food, visit idahofoodbank.org/get-help/getfood/ to find a food pantry near you. To learn more about Elmore County health initiatives, or to get involved, follow Elmore County Health Coalition on Facebook and Instagram.
Author: ECHC Nutrition Subcommittee
To be added at editor’s discretion
Map the Meal Gap Citation
Feeding America. (2024, May 15). Hunger & Poverty in Idaho: Map the meal gap. Overall (all ages) Hunger & Poverty in the United States. https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2022/overall/idaho
Four Strategies to Help Build Resilience (3)
Source: The American Psychological Association
Build Your Connections
Prioritize relationships: Connecting with empathetic and understanding people can remind you that you’re not alone during difficulties. Focus on finding trustworthy and compassionate individuals who validate your feelings.
Join a Group: Along with one-on-one relationships, some people find that being active in civic groups, faith-based communities, or other local organizations provides social support and can help you reclaim hope.
Foster Wellness
Take care of your body: Self-care may be a popular buzzword, but it’s also a legitimate practice for mental health and building resilience. That’s because stress is just as much physical as it is emotional. Promoting positive lifestyle factors like proper nutrition, ample sleep, hydration, and regular exercise can strengthen your body to adapt to stress and reduce the toll of emotions like anxiety or depression.
Practice mindfulness: Mindful journaling, yoga, and other spiritual practices like prayer or meditation can also help people build connections and restore hope, which can prime them to deal with situations that require resilience. When you journal, meditate, or pray, ruminate on positive aspects of your life, and recall the things you’re grateful for.
Avoid negative outlets: It may be tempting to mask your pain with alcohol, drugs, or other substances, but that’s like putting a bandage on a deep wound. Focus instead on giving your body resources to manage stress, rather than seeking to eliminate the feeling of stress altogether.
Embrace Healthy Thoughts
Keep things in perspective: How you think can play a significant part in how you feel—and how resilient you are when faced with obstacles. Try to identify areas of irrational thinking, such as a tendency to catastrophize difficulties or challenge negative self-talk to adopt a more balanced and realistic thinking pattern.
Accept change: Accept that change is a part of life. Certain goals or ideals may no longer be attainable because of adverse situations in your life. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can alter.
Maintain a hopeful outlook: It’s hard to be positive when life isn’t going your way. An optimistic outlook empowers you to expect that good things will happen to you. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear. Along the way, note any subtle ways in which you start to feel better as you deal with difficult situations.
Learn from your past: By looking back at who or what was helpful in previous times of distress, you may discover how you can respond effectively to new difficult situations. Remind yourself of where you’ve been able to find strength and ask yourself what you’ve learned from those experiences.
Find Purpose
Help others: Whether you volunteer with a local homeless shelter or simply support a friend in their own time of need, you can garner a sense of purpose, foster self-worth, connect with other people, and tangibly help others, all of which can empower you to grow in resilience.
Move towards your goals: Develop some realistic goals and do something regularly—even if it seems like a small accomplishment—that enables you to move toward the things you want to accomplish. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself, “What’s one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?”
Look for opportunities for self-discovery: People often find that they have grown in some respect because of a struggle. For example, after a tragedy or hardship, people have reported better relationships and a greater sense of strength, even while feeling vulnerable. That can increase their sense of self-worth and heighten their appreciation for life.
References
ECHC/GHI Org Chart – Nov 2023
ECHC works closely with the Get Health Idaho (GHI) Project, but there are distinctions, seen here.
GHI Action Plan – Nov 2023
See how Get Healthy Idaho is making differences in Elmore County.
ECHC/GHI Updates – May 2024
See the progress of the Get Healthy Idaho initiatives in Elmore County.
2024 ECHC Meetings
Jun 27, 2024 | Minutes
Apr 18, 2024 | Minutes
Feb 15, 2024 | Minutes
2023 ECHC Meetings
Dec 14, 2023 | Minutes
Oct 19, 2023 | Minutes
Aug 17, 2023 | Minutes
Jul 20, 2023 | Minutes
May 18, 2023 | Minutes
Apr 20, 2023 | Minutes
Mar 16, 2023 | Minutes
Feb 16, 2023 | Minutes
Jan 19, 2023 | Minutes
ECHC Mental Health Updates – Nov 2023
Idaho Food Bank – Nov 2023
Tobacco and Vape Prevention & Cessation – Nov 2023
Idaho Aware – School Based Mental Health – Nov 2023
Northpoint & Ashwood Recovery Services – Nov 2023
Youth Behavioral Health Community Crisis Centers – Nov 2023
- Substance Use
- Idaho Drug Free Youth: Statewide program that aims to foster connection in youth, so they don’t seek that connection in substances. Idaho Youth Summit 2024 is June 11th-14th! Know a teen between 8th-12th grade who would benefit from making connections with positive influences or who is ready to be a positive influence to others? Learn more and apply for Idaho Youth Summit here, by May 31st!
- Mountain Home Behavioral Health: Located in Mountain Home and able to accept new patients covered by Medicaid, BPA Funding, or self pay. Specializing in: mental health counseling, group counseling, case management, substance abuse treatment, co-occurring treatment.
- Doyel Ray Hope Center: Hosting celebration and recovery sessions.
- Nicotine
- Resources for Teens/ Young Adults
- KNOW VAPE: Youth informed anti-vape campaign hosted by Idaho Public Television.
- Behind the Haze: National vape education campaign for youth.
- My Life My Quit: Confidential, text- based quit vaping program for youth.
- This is Quitting: Text-based quit vaping program for youth and young adults.
- Resources for Adults
- KICK! Your Cravings: Know Your Nicotine: Information and resources available to Elmore County residents related to nicotine education, prevention, and cessation.
- Project Filter: State tobacco control program where adults can get behavioral support and medication to help them quit nicotine.
- Catch My Breath Parent Toolkit: Toolkit to help parents recognize vape devices, signs of vaping in kids, and how to talk to their child about vaping and nicotine.
- Free Trainings/Webinars
- Resources for Teens/ Young Adults
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- American Lung Association (INDEPTH): Alternative to suspension, nicotine education program for youth in school. Interested in becoming a facilitator? Learn more and get trained for FREE.
- Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes: Grassroots, national, parent driven organization to stop vaping and tobacco use in children.
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- Operation Parent: Parent education helping to prevent drug use in children.
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ECHC Nutrition Related Resources:
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- Nutrition Access
- Idaho Food Bank: Food Assistance Locator: Find food pantry locations, community meal locations, and learn more about the Backpack Program.
- Southwest Idaho Area Agency on Aging: Contact them to learn where congregate meals are served for seniors, and/or to get senior meals delivered.
- Nutrition Education
- Mountain Home Parks and Rec: Nutrition education and cooking classes for community members are hosted here. Including Freezer Frenzy and Little Chefs. Review the seasonal resource guide to sign up!
- Cooking Matters: A 6-week nutrition education and cooking class that can be modified for families, teens, children, or adults! See the ECHC Calendar to find a class happening near you!
- Nutrition Access
ECHC Mental and Behavioral Health Related Resources:
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- Mental/ Behavioral Health Resources (Elmore County)
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- Yellow Bench Project: ECHC is working to rekindle this project that focuses on breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide. Start reading about it on page three of St. Luke’s Elmore County Resource Guide (2022).
- Free Naloxone/ Prescription Safety Supplies: Order naloxone, and FREE prescription safety supplies, drug deactivation kits and more! Can be shipped to you or picked up at the Mountain Home CDH Office!
- List of Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Support Groups in Elmore County
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- Mental Health Resources (Idaho)
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- Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline: For mental health crises, call or text 988 anytime (available 24/7).
- Region Four Crisis Centers
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- Adult (Pathways of Idaho): call 1-833-527-4747 or visit the center at 7192 Potomac Dr. Boise, Idaho 83704
- Youth (Pathways of Idaho): call 1-833-427-4747 or visit the center at 9196 W Emerald Suite 100 Boise, Idaho 83704
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- Gun Locks and Medication Lock Boxes: Contact your local public health district (208-327-8592)
- Department of Health and Welfare Behavioral Health Resources
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- Mental Health Resources (National)
- The Trevor Project: Suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people.
- Free Trainings
- Mental Health Resources (National)
CONTACT
Can’t find the information you need? Please complete the form or give us a call.
ECHC Coordinator
208-327-8547
POST/UPDATES
CDH Offers Free Health Tools and Resources Online
Free Resources Support Students’ Mental Health During Winter Break
Mpox returns to Idaho: Health authorities stress importance of vaccination
Health Officials Investigating Ada County Outbreak Linked to Raw Milk
Long-Term Food Establishment Fees, Applications and Guidance (Annual Food Establishment License)
Long-Term Food Establishment Fees – July 2022
- All Permanent food establishments except those with more than two licenses on one premise: $200
- Food establishments with more than two licenses on one premise: $250
Guidance Documents
Food Safety Operational Plan Review
Food Establishment Requirements Outline – Jun 2024
Request for Variance – Instructions – Dec 2023
Request for Variance Proposal –
Mobile Food Establishment Fees, Applications and Guidance
Applications
Mobile Food Establishment Fees – July 2022
- Full Service without commissary: $80
- Full Service with commissary: $100
Guidance Documents
- Mobile Food Operational Plan – Oct 2023
- Mobile Food Plan Review Packet – Dec 2023
- Mobile Food Requirements Table – Jan 2024
- Commissary Agreement
- Water Truck Guidelines – Dec 2023
- Sno Shack Policy / Shaved Ice / Italian Ice – Dec 2023
Temporary Food Establishments Fees, Applications and Guidance
Temporary events include parades, street fairs, festivals, and similar events that operate for a specific term not to exceed 14 consecutive days.
Normally, the applicant does not qualify for a permanent license. At the end of the event, the establishment will be removed from the premises.
The annual Food Establishment License issued to restaurants and caterers for their permanent location or commissary is not applicable to a Temporary Food Establishment at events.
Applications
Temporary Food Establishment License / Special Events Information – Nov 2023
Temporary Food Establishment License Application
Temporary Food Establishment Fees – July 2022
- Operating for one day: $35
- Operating for two-three days: $45
- Operating for four days or multiple events: $80
Guidance
- Temporary Food Manual – Oct 2023
- Notification for Special Event – Information – Dec 2023
- Notification for Special Event – Application
- DEQ – Portable Sanitation Units
- Guidelines for Sampling Demos – Dec 2023
- Seafood Sales – Dec 2023
- Farmers Markets / City Markets / Similar Events Information – Dec 2023
- Farmers Market No Dogs Poster #1 – Nov 2023
- Farmers Market No Dogs Poster #2 – Nov 2023
- Food Safety Notice – Oct 2023
- No Bare Hands Poster – Dec 2023
- Petting Zoo Guidelines – Dec 2023
Cottage Foods Applications and Guidance
Frequently Asked Questions About Cottage Foods – Oct 2023
Cottage Foods Fact Sheet – Oct 2023
Cottage Foods Assessment Form – Oct 2023
Cottage Foods Poster 1 – Oct 2023
Cottage Foods Poster 2 – Oct 2023
IDHW – Cottage Foods
Food Processing Applications and Guidance
Food Processing Facility Information Requirements – Dec 2023
Food Processing and Distributing – Requirements for Licensing – Nov 2023
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Worksheets – Nov 2023
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan Development – Dec 2023
Reduced Oxygen Packaging for Retail Sale – Dec 2023
ISDA – Starting a Specialty Food Business in Idaho: A Comprehensive Guide – English | Spanish