This blog was written by University of North Florida intern Marissa Giles. 

Marissa is studying Community & Public Health at UNF and will be graduating this summer. She has interned at the Coalition since May 2015.

My name is Marissa Giles and I have been lucky enough to get an internship here at the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition.

Throughout my internship I have been able to go out to various locations in the Jacksonville community to educate about infant mortality and infant safe sleep practices. Thus far I have been able to give a safe sleep presentation to soon-to-be moms at Soluna Yoga Studio and teach “Make a Noise! Make a Difference!” classes to women at the Sulzbacher Center. The Make a Noise! curriculum covers important preconception, pregnancy and infancy topics like folic acid, prenatal care, substance use and safe sleep.

Later this month I’m excited to be at another yoga studio presenting safe sleep information to their prenatal class and I will be teaching a Make a Noise! class at Babies “R” Us.  Near the end of July I will also be heading to Littlebits Consignment Shop on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville during their annual sale to hand out safe sleep information and play some interactive games with the moms and dads there.

The reception I have gotten from the community has been overwhelmingly positive towards all of the classes and information I have been offering. There have also been plenty of small businesses in the community who have happily taken infant safe sleep practices brochures to hand out to their customers to better educate them on ways to prevent infant mortality.