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FREE CLINICS Editor’s note: Due to the holidays, some dates and times may have changed. Please check with the organizations. BACK MOUNTAIN FREE MEDICAL CLINIC: 6:30 p.m. Fridays, 65 Davis St., Shavertown. Volunteers, services and supplies needed. For more information, call 696-1144. CARE AND CONCERN FREE HEALTH CLINIC: Registration 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, former Seton Catholic High School, 37 William St., Pittston. Basic health care and information provided. Call 954-0645. PEDIATRIC HEALTH CLINIC for infants through age 11, former Seton Catholic High School, 37 William St., Pittston. Registrations accepted from 4:305:30 p.m. the first and third Thursday of each month. Parents are required to bring their children’s immunization records. For more information, call 8556035. THE HOPE CENTER: Free basic medical care and preventive health care information for the uninsured or underinsured, legal advice and pastoral counseling, 6-8 p.m. Mondays; free hearing tests and hearing aid assistance, 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays; free chiropractic evaluations and vision care, including free replacement glasses, for the uninsured or underinsured, 6-8 p.m. Thursdays; Back Mountain Harvest Assembly, 340 Carverton Road, Trucksville. Free dental hygiene services and teeth cleanings are available 6-8 p.m. on Mondays by appointment. Call 696-5233 or email hopecenterwv@gmail.com. VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 190 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre. Primary and preventive health care for the working uninsured and underinsured in Luzerne County with incomes less than two times below federal poverty guidelines. For appointments, call 970-2864. WILKES-BARRE FREE CLINIC: 4:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 35 S. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre. Appointments are necessary. Call 793-4361. A dental clinic is also available from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday by appointment. Call 235-5642. Physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, RNs, LPNs and social workers are needed as well as receptionists and interpreters. To volunteer assistance leave a message for Pat at 7934361.
BLOOD DRIVES LUZERNE COUNTY: The Wyoming Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross hosts community blood drives throughout the month. Donors who are 17 years of age or older, weigh at least 1 10 pounds and are in relatively good health or 16 years old and have a parental permission form completed, may give blood every 56 days. To learn more about how to donate blood or platelets or to schedule a blood donation, call 1-800-REDCROSS (7332767). In addition to those listed below, blood drives are conducted at the American Red Cross Regional Blood Center, 29 New Commerce Blvd., Hanover Industrial Estates, Ashley, Mondays and Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; and Sundays from 7:30 a.m.-noon. Appointments are suggested but walkins are accepted. Platelet appointments can be made by calling 823-7164, ext. 2235. Blood drives also take place from 9 a.m.-noon on the first and third Monday of each month at the Hazleton Chapter of the American Red Cross, 165 Susquehanna Blvd., Hazleton. For a complete donation schedule, visit: REDCROSSBLOOD.ORG or call 1-800-REDCROSS (7332767). Area blood donation sites include: Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., WilkesBarre Blood Donation Center, 29 New Commerce Blvd., Ashley; 12:30- 6 p.m., St. Therese Church, 64 Davis St., Shavertown. Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Luzerne County Community College,
MEALS Continued from Page 1C
away soon. But kids’ meals are growing up. Big national chains, including Texas Roadhouse, Red Lobster and Applebee’s, along with small, locally owned restaurants like Story in Prairie Village, Kan., are adapting to the changing appetites of younger patrons. Kids can order apples instead of fries, and freshly made pasta and English peas rather than fried chicken tenders and hot dogs. And older children — tweens and teens — are getting their own transitional menu items to match their new maturity. Bonnie Riggs, a restaurant industry researcher at NPD Group, said children and their parents are responding to the promotions and packaging for healthful choices. They are eating fewer fries, carbonated drinks and desserts, and more fruit, smoothies and non-fried chicken. A year ago, for example, Jack in the Box stopped putting toys in children’s meals and added options such as Chiquita Apple Bites with caramel in its Kid’s Combo Meals. “They are more appealing to a parent than packaging a toy with lower quality,” said Brian Luscomb, spokesman for Jack in the Box. Of course, when you think of children’s meals and toys, the
HEALTH PEOPLE Joanne Allen and Amanda Reinmiller were recently hired as full-time physical therapists at Riverside Rehabilitation clinics in Plains Township and Berwick. Allen received her Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy from the University of Scranton. Her duties will include manual therapy, use of modalities, balance training,
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McDonald’s Happy Meal is the category king. Introduced in 1979, Happy Meals account for about 10 percent of McDonald’s sales. But sales of Happy Meals were flat to slightly down in the first quarter of this year, said Neil Getzlow, a spokesman for the chain. McDonald’s said it was showing its commitment to children’s well-being by trimming the calorie count of its Happy Meal. It added apple slices and “kid-size” fries in the Kansas City market last November. “Families are eating differently than they used to when they go out,” McDonald’s said in a statement. “They may order a Happy Meal because kids love the specialness of their own meal, or they may share Chicken McNuggets, fries and then get their own drinks.” Consider the Wollard family. Until this month, mom and dad would routinely order four Happy Meals with the toys for their children, ages 3, 5, 7 and 8. They are Happy Meal’s target market. But eldest child Christian recently announced he was ready for a new milestone - his first Big Mac. Well, not an entire Big Mac, since his mother cut it in two so he could share it with his sister, Kate, 7. “I’m getting older and I don’t want to play with toys anymore,” said Christian, who spends time on Nintendo and Xbox at home. “The Big Macs look so good, and my 10-year-old cousin eats them. I follow what he does because
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TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2012 PAGE 3C
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A new report shows sales of kids meals are on the wane with children no longer craving the pintsized servings with toys as they once did.
he’s so cool.” Purchases of children’s meals with toys also are often driven by movie promotions like “Toy Story” and “The Lion King.” “But there hasn’t been any big hit movie or tie-in to boost excitement,” Riggs said. Still, 4-year-old Elijah Gonzalez was pretty excited about his Happy Meal toy during a recent
lunch at a Kansas City, Mo., McDonald’s. Before touching his food, he was ripping off the plastic wrapper on his figurine of Melman the Giraffe from “Madagascar 3.” But favoring the healthful choices, big sister Lily Gonzalez, 10, was hungry for her heartier Mighty Kids Meal, an “in-between” menu item, introduced by
McDonald’s in 2001. Mighty Kids Meals include six Chicken McNuggets or a McDouble burger, small fries and apple slices, along with fat-free chocolate milk, low-fat white milk or juice. Riggs said children want to seem more mature at an everyounger age, ordering what their older siblings or parents are ordering.
therapeutic activities instruction and patient education in the Plains facility located in the Cross Valley Medical Complex, South River Street. Reinmiller received her Bachelor of Science degree from Lock Haven University and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Widner University. She will evaluate and treat patients from childhood to geriatrics with a variety of diagnoses at Riverside’s Berwick facility, 109 Mulberry St.
Editor’s note: The complete health calendar can be viewed at www.timesleader.com by clicking the Health link under the Features tab. To have your health-oriented event listed, send information to Health, Times Leader, 15 N. Main St., WilkesBarre, PA 18711-0250 or email health@timesleader.com
Prospect and Middle Road, Nanticoke. Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Wilkes-Barre Blood Donation Center, 29 New Commerce Blvd., Ashley. Saturday, 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Wilkes-Barre Blood Donation Center, 29 New Commerce Blvd., Ashley.
Sunday, 7:30 a.m. – noon, WilkesBarre Blood Donation Center, 29 New Commerce Blvd., Ashley. Monday, 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., WilkesBarre Blood Donation Center, 29 New Commerce Blvd., Ashley. July 10, 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., WilkesBarre Blood Donation Center, 29 New Commerce Blvd., Ashley.
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