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Photos by Jason Taylor
Harlem Hospital Injury Protection Program promotes safety by distributing "Safe at Home Boxes" to both new mothers and mothers of young children. The boxes are sponsored by the Allstate Insurance Foundation and by Harlem Hospital. These boxes contain outlet covers, double locks (which prevent children's fingers from being caught in drawers), a floating ducky thermometer for bath water, and Loony Toons slip-resistant characters for the bath tub. All these products are crucial to a child¹s (3.children's)safety in the home. These boxes are free and given out at hospitals and community centers, with verbal instructions by the HHIPP group members, explaining the purpose of each item and how to use the products at home.
Another responsibility of members of the Bike Safety Program is to take groups of kids and teenagers on bike rides around the city. All members of HHIPP are also involved in the Urban Youth Bike Corp and are therefore experienced and educated abut the various methods and precautions to take to avoid injury when riding bikes. These six members are Osakwe Beale, Teddy...., Kerly Suffren, Jemeal Icemen, Humphrey..... The Urban Youth Bike Corp has been an extremely positive influence on all of its members; all the members who have passed through this program have gone to college.
Read more about The Harlem Hospital: |
Nationally
known as the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, Harlem Hospital Injury
Protection Program (HHIPP) is dedicated to providing safety advice to
families with young children. HHIPP was developed because of the alarming
amount of children entering hospitals with home-related injuries‹injuries
that easily could have been prevented. There are six members of the
Harlem Hospital Injury Prevention Program, who have been involved in
this program for four years. The members range in ages from 16 to 18,
and the director, Eric Cliette, is both the local and national director.
The teens work as a team to make sure that they reach and meet all the
needs of the Harlem community.
Another
focus of this group is bicycle safety. Harlem Hospital also noticed
an alarming amount of people entering the hospital with bicycle-related
injuries that could have been avoided by simply wearing a helmet or
other protective gear. Therefore, another component of HHIPP is dedicated
to bike safety. Members of the group travel to community centers and
day camps to make presentations to the children, promoting bike safety.
The members give out free helmets and Harlem Hospital also sells helmets
for five dollars rather than the normal price of thirty dollars.
The
purpose of the HHIPP is crucial to the safety of the children in the
Harlem Community. It is a non-profit organization; therefore, its motivation
is compassion for the youth of the Harlem Community. HHIPP is a great
program that benefits both the community and the members involved. It
is associated with the Harlem Dance Clinic and the Harlem Little League.
HHIPP is always looking for new members between the ages of 12 and 18.
