In the Spotlight

The John Rex Endowment awarded Project Enlightenment of the Wake County Public School System a $2 million grant to help parents with young children in Raleigh improve parenting skills. Project Enlightenment will work with approximately 18 community agencies to train and provide Triple P - Positive Parenting Program® (Triple P), an internationally acclaimed model that is designed to give parents the skills they need to raise confident, healthy children.

Constance Cronk, a retiring physical education teacher, recently reflected on how her career has focused on enhancing the total wellness of her school community. In a recent blog post written for Advocates for Health in Action, Cronk described a wellness adventure that spans 20 years at Baucom Elementary School in Apex, NC. 

When the time comes for mothers to seek child care, there can be a lot of anxiety and concern. After all, it means a change of routine, communication and interaction for both mother and baby. One big hurdle for many working mothers is juggling the schedule of a job while continuing to provide optimal infant and young c…

Big steps have been taken by several groups in Wake County to build connections, improve resources and encourage active lifestyles. In 2007, the Triangle Transit Authority and the Gethsemane SDA Church both received three-year grants from the John Rex Endowment to tackle separate projects to remove barriers in communit…

Our environment often affects our mood, outlook and activities. Lack of access, safety concerns, or pedestrian obstacles can easily become everyday reasons for lower levels of activity. Fortunately, there is a movement in Wake County to take the right steps to both remove these barriers and create environments which enco…

Asthma attacks can keeps kids awake at night – coughing, wheezing and gasping for air. Asthma symptoms frequently interrupt sleep, disrupt school days, create panic and frequently result in trips to the emergency room. “It doesn’t always have to be that way,” says Jackie Choman, a respiratory ther…

Making healthy choices isn’t always as easy as it sounds. It’s even harder if your food choices are limited.  Thousands of children in Wake County do not have access to foods they need to thrive and maintain a healthy weight. These children have food insecurities and do not know when or how they …

When it comes to your health, relationships play a big role. You want to be heard, and you want to trust that your needs are understood. Communication is a top priority, and a smile can go a long way!  Wake Health Services learned exactly that, and so much more, when the organization took the time to step back, ass…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the second most common developmental disability; however, there are often mixed messages about autism which can lead to confusion for families and the medical community. ASD refers to a group of developmental disabilities that affect a person’s ability to understand what they see…

Positive Leadership & Youth Development In recent months, the John Rex Endowment was privileged to attend graduation ceremonies for participants from Planned Parenthood's Teens Taking Action, El Pueblo's Líderes de Salud and Wake County 4-H Extension's PODER. These local groups have a lot to celebrate! It's …