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Amanda Merck

Merck completed her MPH with a concentration in Physical Activity and Health. She curates content for Salud America! (@SaludAmerica), a Latino childhood obesity prevention project based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She focuses on the latest research, resources, and stories related to policy, systems, and environmental changes to enhance equitable access to safe places for kids and families to walk, bike, and play.

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Articles by Amanda Merck

How Advocates Campaigned for 1st Protected Bike Lane Law


advocating for protected bike lanes

Nathanael Fillmore felt his life was in danger every time he rode his bike on unsafe streets to his job as a computer scientist in Cambridge, Mass. (9.2% Latino). So he took action. Fillmore helped launch the Cambridge Bicycle Safety group, and they eventually pushed Cambridge to become the first U.S. city with a municipal law mandating construction of a network of permanent, protected bike lanes on local roads. They did it in three big steps: Build public support on an issues through community organizing Translate public support into political support Use political support to pass a law “Our focus was to work with elected officials to pass legal binding policy to change structural environment among staff and get a network of protected bike lanes built out,” ...

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4 Big Questions on the Rise of Child Abuse During Coronavirus


child abuse during school closures

During this global coronavirus pandemic that has shut down businesses and schools and ushered in social distancing, experts worry more children are suffering from abuse. Researchers say this happens in times of stress. Child abuse rose in the Great Recession. “I believe we’re going to see the number of child abuse cases increase rapidly but child abuse reports are going to decrease exponentially,” Megan Hedges, family advocate for the Child Advocacy Center of Fredrick County, told the Frederick News-Post. “This is going to be detrimental to many of the children in our community because we know the abuse is not stopping, in fact the abuse may be getting worse.” 1. Why Could Child Abuse Rise? Financial distress, unemployment, domestic violence, and social isolation are big ...

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Addressing the Spike in Domestic Violence amid Coronavius for Latinas and All Women


Addressing the Spike in Domestic Violence amid Coronavius for Latinas

Many U.S. homes are not the safe havens we may think. In fact, with families locked down to slow COVID-19, police say domestic violence cases have risen up to 35% in recent days, NBC reports. Local and state leaders need to address the immediate needs of these victims. They also need to think about long-term solutions to reduce disparities in income and wealth accumulation, which COVID-19 is exacerbating, particularly among Latinas. “Women — and it is predominantly women who are victimized — are confined to isolated homes with abusive partners whose coercive and physically violent tendencies are enabled and further inflamed by economic stressors [due to coronavirus],” according to Natasha Lennard with The Intercept. If you or someone you know needs help, call the ...

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Webinar: How to Use Data to Promote Health Equity During COVID-19 Pandemic


Salud Equity Report Card Webinar

Salud America! led a national webinar to show how our Salud America! Health Equity Report Card can help you visualize and explore place-based health inequities in your county, and build a case toward solutions during these difficult coronavirus times. The webinar, “How to Use Place-Based Data to Promote Health Equity During COVID-19 Pandemic,” took place at 2 p.m. ET Thursday, May 7, 2020. Webinar speakers explored: How inequities in housing, transportation, poverty, healthcare, and access to healthy food and safe places to be active, contribute to disparities in infectious and chronic disease. How you can use the local data, interactive maps, and comparative gauges in the Salud America! Health Equity Report Card to identify health inequity issues in your county. ...

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Tell City Leaders: Open Streets for More Walking, Biking during Coronavirus!


open streets petition coronavirus covid-19

Medical and health experts agree that being active outside is crucial to maintaining physical and mental health—as long as we keep 6 feet of distance between each other amid coronavirus. But social distancing is hard when so many more people are using sidewalks, trails, and parks. That’s where open streets can help. Open streets, which close streets to vehicle traffic, create more outdoor space for people to walk, bike, roll, and stay active and socially distant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sign a petition by the Rails to Trails Conservancy to urge local leaders to close select streets to car traffic, and open them for human activity during this global pandemic! SIGN THE PETITION! The Growing Need for Open Streets As the U.S. coronavirus pandemic continues, trail ...

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Bicyclist’s Petition to Open Streets to People in Philadelphia During Coronavirus Crisis


Randy LoBassoPhiladelphia open streets

Randy LoBasso is pushing to make bicycling safer and more equitable in Philadelphia. But, as COVID-19 shut down businesses and schools, the bike-as-transportation enthusiast found people crowding local bike trails and making it hard to practice social/physical distancing. LoBasso had a thought. What if Philadelphia (15% Latino) closed streets to car traffic? Could people use streets to freely bike, walk, and be physically activity while also maintaining six-feet distance? LoBasso led an “open streets” petition and got the city to close a major street to cars, and open it for people walking, biking, and rolling. And he’s not stopping there. LoBasso Understands Need for Biking as a Means of Transportation, Access to Opportunity LoBasso isn’t a spandex-wearing ...

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How Schools Continue “Handle With Care” for Kids Amid Closures, Coronavirus


Handle With Care Salud Heroes

Over the past few years, dozens of U.S. schools launched the Handle With Care program to better support students facing childhood trauma like poverty and domestic violence. For the program, police alert school leaders when they encounter a child at a traumatic scene, so schools are prepared to keep an eye on the student and provide support or services. But now schools are closed due to coronavirus. So how are these schools adapting the Handle With Care program and maintaining meaningful connections with students in the face of school closures? We asked three people who got the Handle With Care program started in San Antonio. How Did Handle With Care Begin in San Antonio? Read or watch how Diana Centeno of San Antonio ISD (SAISD), John Hernandez of East Central ISD (ECISD), ...

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Chef, Food Advocate Team Up to Serve Free, No-Questions-Asked Red Beans and Rice


Jenn Yates and David Guas

Jenn Yates is an advocate who usually pushes for healthier school food in Arlington, Virginia (15.8% Latino). David Guas is a chef who usually is feeding people. These days, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Yates and Guas are a dynamic duo that provides free meals to vulnerable families to prevent hunger while schools and restaurants are closed. And, thanks to the advocate and the chef, red beans and rice are feeding thousands. May 5 UPDATE: The Chefs Feeding Families initiative has provided 18,000 meals to families across the DC metro area. Yates, the Advocate, Understands the Importance of Food Assistance Programs Yates grew up in a low-income, working family. She said she is grateful for food assistance programs like free meals at schools. “I got school meals as a kid,” ...

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Walking and Biking Are Way Up During COVID-19, Revealing Big Inequities in Open Spaces


Walking and Biking Are Way Up During COVID-19

With schools and retail stores closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, more people are going outside to walk and bike in communities across the country. Philadelphia and New York are closing some streets to cars and open them to people walking and biking. This gives people room to practice six-foot social distancing rules as they pick up groceries, get physical activity, and grab some fresh air amid the coronavirus lockdown. But some cities and states are closing parks amid virus fears. This worsens existing inequities in access to green and open spaces for Latinos and other disadvantaged communities. Equitable access to green and open spaces is more important than ever. Outdoor Recreation is Surging during Coronavirus Social media is abuzz about the spike in people outside ...

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