Donate Used Bikes for a Good Cause

Do you or your family members have old bikes lying around your house or garage? Have you been thinking it was time to clear out that space and make room for other summer activity equipment? Perhaps you’ve been thinking about getting a new bike and will soon have an old one!  

If you have old bikes that aren’t being used, there are several groups around Denver and across the state that will put those old bikes to great use! Bicycle Colorado  provides more information on organizations and individuals who are helping bikes get to folks who need them the most. The website features groups like Bicycles for Humanity Colorado which repairs old bikes and delivers them to communities in Namibia, Zambia and Kenya; providing essential transportation to improve access to healthcare, education and economic opportunities. Recycle Bicycles is another non-profit that repairs old bicycles and redistributes them to inner city shelters, housing projects and schools right here in Colorado.

So no matter what shape that old bike is in, if you are thinking about getting rid of it, please consider checking out Bicycle Colorado and donating your equipment to help improve communities across our state and our world!

June is Bike to Work Month. . .

National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Using two wheels can save you time and money and helps preserve your health and the environment. If you’ve never tried biking to work and have concerns, Wellness Advisory Board Member, Bailey Smith, shares her tips on how to overcome obstacles and provides information on how to plan and successfully ride to work.

Desk Yoga by Jodi Birkofer

Jodi Birkofer, Smart Meal Coordinator for the Department, leads you through an eight minute desk yoga routine.  She guides you on how to modify the routine as a beginner or more experienced yogi.  Set aside 10 minutes a day to stretch and re-energize.  Contact Jodi with questions.

Packing a Healthy Lunch

In this presentation, dietetic student, Patti Heath, from the University of Northern Colorado, talks about "How to Pack a Healthy Lunch."  Thinking about it, it was really a brown bag about, well, brown bags and how to fill them!

The presentation is embedded below (slides are available for download).  Too, we uploaded the handouts for how to keep a stocked pantry and fridge, sodium tipsheet, smart snacking for adults and teens, healthy snack ideas, healthy lunch handout, and a guide to kid-friendly veggies and fruit.

Wellness Equipment and Resources Drive, May 21 - 25

The Employee Wellness Advisory Board is collecting fitness equipment and wellness resources during the week of May 21 - May 25.  Donated items will be distributed throughout the department so all CDHPE employees have easy access to resources.  If you have items you are not using, we would love to take them off your hands.  We are looking for items such as dumbbells, weighted balls, yoga mats, books, dvds, magazines, cookbooks, etc.  Please support wellness by donating.  

A large equipment drop off will take place at the lab on Thursday, May 24, from 8 – 5 p.m.  The drop will be at the receiving dock on the southeast side of the building.  Employees are asked to contact Laurie Peterson-Wright to ensure the item is acceptable.  If employees want to drop off earlier, they can leave the item on the dock but no one will be there to assist them.  

Pack a Healthy Lunch Brown Bag, May 9

"Pack a Healthy Lunch" brown bag will be held Wednesday, May 9, from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. in the Snow Room. Patti Heath, a fabulous dietetic student volunteer will lead an interactive session on how to pack a healthy lunch and save $$.

New Yoga Class Starts, Wednesday, May 2

Jodi Birkofer, CDPHE Smart Meal Coordinator and a Wellness Champion, is leading a new yoga class on Wednesdays at noon (begins May 2).  She hopes to hold the class outside when weather permits.  Contact Jodi for pricing and to be included on her email distribution.