Genesis Program Provides Services During Pandemic
Kyle Knox
Gila River Indian News
COVID-19 has allowed flexibility and creativity for many programs affected by limited in-person interactions for many of the Community’s health programs. It remains the same for the Genesis Program, though they have found ingenious ways to continue their work.
Continuing from last month’s issue highlighting the success of their Virtual Jump Rope Marathon, there is more to share about the program. Genesis continues to progress services, expand programming, and prep for a new building to help achieve its goals and objectives.
Genesis is funded through the Special Diabetes Program for Indians and provides many great opportunities for community education on health, healthy activities for families, womens health and breastfeeding programs, nutrition and food workshops and much more.
While COVID-19 restrictions may have decreased in-person programming, Genesis found some benefit to going virtual. Program Manager Kyrie Dukepoo said, “We’ve been doing telemedicine (virtually) since June, and it has really made things easier for us where we can now provide services to clients in the hospital.”
Dukepoo also mentioned how Genesis has expanded to a new clientele that neither lives within the Community or state. Many Community members now have the opportunity to utilize Genesis’ services remotely via online platforms.
And in another virtual development, Genesis recently launched their own Genesis Breastfeeding app for Apple and Android devices. The mobile app was a two-year project that launched this fall, very timely considering it minimizes the in-person contact while providing useful information to families.
Meeting the needs of their clientele, despite COVID-19 restrictions, has required Genesis staff to provide services over virtual platforms during this time. To date, Genesis continues to provide on-going Breastfeeding 101 and Pregnancy Nutrition classes online.
Last year, many may remember the Genesis held its Bike Rally, providing children and youth bikes to promote healthy activity. If you wondered if such an event could still occur this year, you’re in luck.
Dukepoo shared that next month Genesis will be hosting a Virtual Bike Rally. Participants will be required to view an online safety workshop hosted by Officer Milano, Gila River Police Dept, to receive the bike at a later time. The distribution will be a drive-thru style for all that register and complete their virtual safety training.
Another acquisition for Genesis is their new office building, located in Sacaton, in addition to continued programming and development. Built to meet the Genesis staff and clientele’s needs, it features office space, a designated classroom for physical activity and in-person classroom education, a kitchen with commercial appliances for food demonstrations and nutrition education, and a conference room designed specifically for family programming.
A room in the older Genesis Building will be redesigned for a breastfeeding room for clients
Once COVID-19 has subsided, Genesis clientele will have plenty to look forward to. With a new building and expanded virtual services, Genesis is eager and will continue to significantly impact the Community living on and off the GRIC.
