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French Hospital Medical Center Foundation Receives Significant Grant to Educate and Empower Local Youth Females

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Collaboration between French Hospital and the Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo will increase program to reach additional female adolescents.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – October 24, 2017 – French Hospital Medical Center Foundation is pleased to announce that is has received a $15,000 grant from the Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County through their Women’s Legacy Fund Grant. The funding will support the Dove Girl’s Self-Esteem Workshops, provided by French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC). The program empowers girls with the skills, knowledge, and support to overcome gender inequities, stereotypes, and build resilience.  

By ages 8 to 12, studies show that girls are already beginning to compare themselves with advertising models; these comparisons are shown to increase further through adolescence. This age – 8 to 12 years old – is therefore a crucial time to help young girls develop positive self-esteem and body confidence, in the hopes of positively affecting their views of themselves as they progress through adolescence and into adulthood.

To help local girls develop healthy self-esteem and body image views, FHMC began hosting Dove Self-Esteem Workshops. The workshop empowers girls to accept themselves for who they are and provides tools for success. Workshop curriculum was developed by Dove, the beauty product company, as part of the Dove Beauty Campaign. 

“French Hospital Medical Center is proud to partner with the Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County in order to provide a strong and confident foundation for young females in our community,” says French Hospital’s Vice President of Philanthropy, Debby Nicklas. “Our facility is a great supporter of local youth programs and works to create opportunities for them to create a positive self-image, which allows them to better thrive on their journey through adolescence.”  

FHMC currently offers workshops at four Paso Robles locations - three elementary schools and a community center. Due to the success of this program in Paso Robles and thanks to grant funding from the Community Foundation, the program will be expanding to San Luis Obispo with two additional elementary school locations. 

Workshops are offered four times per year at each location, with approximately one dozen girls participating in each session. The program also includes a two-hour afterschool session daily for one week. Workshops are led by FHMC’s bilingual Community Health Educator and coordinated by FHMC’s Community Benefits Coordinator. School counselors refer girls to the program who are identified as dealing with self-esteem issues or at high risk for bullying. 

Workshops provide a combination of activities and communication tools that encourage conversation on difficult subjects: body confidence and self-esteem. Sessions are designed to build positive self-esteem using a variety of interactive learning activities, games, art projects, and group discussions.

The Women’s Legacy Fund was established in September 2003 with a mission “To be a catalyst for philanthropy that improves the lives of women and girls in San Luis Obispo County.”  Each year the fund has focused on a different broad issue area:  Basic Needs, Education, Reproductive Health, Mental Health, Economic Independence, or Personal Safety. Approximately $255,000 has been awarded since the inception of the fund.


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About French Hospital Medical Center

French Hospital Medical Center, located in San Luis Obispo, California, has been named one of the Nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics. French is also a recipient of the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award and has been in the Top 5% in the Nation for Patient Safety for four consecutive years. French Hospital’s Copeland, Forbes, and Rossi Cardiac Care Center provides the latest innovative cardiac and imaging technology and French is the only hospital in SLO County designated to treat STEMI heart attacks. The facility has achieved prestigious designation as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission for advanced, comprehensive care for stroke patients.

The hospital is home to the first-of-its-kind Copeland Health Education Pavilion, providing the most advanced health care research facilities and educational resources to the community. The Stollmeyer Birthing Center is being expanded and modernized to include additional private birthing rooms, a new family waiting area, an upgraded nursing station, and a new C-section suite. French Hospital’s Hearst Cancer Resource Center offers free education, resources, and support to cancer patients and their families. French is a Dignity Health Central Coast hospital which also includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, CA, Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, CA, St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, CA and St. John’s Pleasant Valley in Camarillo, CA.

Dignity Health Central Coast is an integrated network of top quality hospitals, physicians from the most prestigious medical schools, and comprehensive outpatient services including primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers and a full service home health agency; all recognized for quality, safety and service.  Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to help meet the growing health care needs of our communities.

 

Publish date: 

Tuesday, October 24, 2017