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Written by Nicole Farrow
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Monday, 03 November 2008 16:47 |
 Harlem Hospital Injury Protection Program 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 in the Harlem Hospital Injury Prevention Program, who have been involved in this program for four years. The members range in ages from 16-18, 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.
Harlem Hospital Injury Protection Program promotes safety by distributing "Safe at Home Boxes" to both new mothers and mothers who have 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 child'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 focus of this group is bicycle safety. Harlem Hospital also noticed an alarming amount of people entering the hospital due to 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 presentation 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.
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 passed through this program have gone to college.
The purpose of the HHIPP is crucial to the safety of the children in the Harlem Community. It is a non-profit organization; therefore, it's motivation is their compassion for the youth of the Harlem Community. HHIPP a great program that benefits both the community and the members involved. It is associated the Harlem Dance Clinic, and the Harlem Little League. HHIPP is always looking for new members between the ages of 12 and 18.
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