August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, and World Breastfeeding Week is recognized August 1-7. According to the Virginia Department of Health, breast milk is the only food that infants need for the first six months of life. It gives them all the nutrition they need along with important protection against diseases.

Prabha Bhattarai Deuja, member of Multicultural Advisory Council and founder of Tender Hearts Foundation, is known for taking immediate action when there is community need.

The Fairfax County Health Department Speech and Hearing team is hosting their second week-long camp this summer. This camp will help children enhance vital social skills that will help improve social behavior and interactions with others.

“If we aren’t doing anything for these kids, then coming to the barbershop and talking is a waste of time.”

Food for Others, a regional food bank and member of the Fairfax County Food Council, held a grand opening of its Merrifield 10,000 square foot addition to its public-facing market on Thursday, February 9. In its first two weeks, over 82,000 pounds of food have been shared with more than 8,400 customers; figures that underscore the deep need to address food insecurity during the trend of rising costs for local families. 

On Saturday, February 4, people gathered at the Oakland Baptist Church in Alexandria to have conversations about HIV and to highlight progress made to reduce the virus in the African-American community.

"Public health is what we do together as a society to create the conditions under which everyone is healthy. It works best when everyone is engaged."

This quote from Fairfax County Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu encapsulates the spirit of how it is essential for our local community to collaborate in order to create a healthy foundation for all.