Capital Area Healthy Start honors dedicated partners with Angel Awards

Being a parent comes with great rewards — and plenty of challenges. Whether it comes from family, friends, doctors or organizations, community and support are essential for new parents and veteran parents alike.

For this reason, Healthy Start Coalitions were established by Governor Lawton Chiles in 1992 after convening a group of community leaders to find ways to reduce Florida’s alarmingly high infant mortality rate.

For over 30 years, Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition (CAHSC) has been dedicated to improving the lives and health of local moms and babies by directly working with families and healthcare providers in Leon and Wakulla counties, regardless of the mother’s income, age, or economic status.

Their goal is to ensure pregnant women have access to care and to improve maternal and infant health through healthy pregnancy education, child development education, breastfeeding education, women’s health education and support, and care coordination.

Capital Area Healthy Start has long fought for the health of mothers and babies through education, advocacy and community outreach.

Each year the organization hosts the annual Angel Awards, Silent Auction and Benefit which honors members of the local community who go above and beyond to support local mothers and babies. This year’s event will be held at Bradley’s Pond on Aug. 18.

The Angel Awards recognize individuals and organizations with the commitment to help families and give all babies the healthiest start in life. Leon County’s Emergency Medical Services is among the 2022 Angel Awards recipients for their role in infant safety, including their partnership with Capital Area Healthy Start to provide free infant CPR classes to local families.

Lifelong resident and community activist Miaisha Mitchell and her daughter Dr. Amandla Haynes are also this year’s Angel Award Honorees. Both women are receiving the award for their support of maternal and child health, and their ongoing work to eliminate the racial disparity gap in maternal and infant mortality.

Beyond honoring these amazing individuals, CAHSC will be holding a raffle and silent auction during the event to raise funds for local families and babies.

The event will be hosted by FAMU professors Dr. Fran Close and Dr. Torhonda Lee. Tickets to this year’s event are $75 per person and food and drinks are included, as well as entertainment by local world-based jazz band, JazzEtcetera.

“Our coalition strives for a world where every baby has a Healthy Start. For over 30 years, our coalition has had a mission to improve the health of moms and babies by providing healthy pregnancy education and connecting families with community programs that help with pregnancy and parenting,” said Chris Szorcsik, executive director of CAHSC.

“The Annual Angel Awards and Benefit is a night of celebration and recognition as we honor those who allow us to make an impact on our local community.”

For more information about the event, sponsorship registration, purchasing tickets or entering the raffle, visit capitalareahealthystart.org.

If you go

What: Capital Area Healthy Start's Angel Awards with silent auction and entertainment by JazzEtcetera.

When: 5:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18

Where: Bradley's Pond, off Centerville Road

Tickets: $75;capitalareahealthystart.org

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Capital Area Healthy Start honors key plays with Angel Awards