City of Port Arthur Health Department

10/07/2025

What’s up, doc? 🥕🐰 It’s carrot season!

These orange root veggies are best known for their vitamin A, but they pack a nutrition punch:

✨ Vitamin A for eye health and immunity
✨ Fiber for digestion and steady fullness
✨ Potassium for healthy blood pressure

Did you know: Carrots come in many colors, like orange, purple, yellow, red, cream, and white!

Check out these Zone 9 gardening tips for carrots:

🥕 Plant in deep, loose, well-draining soil
Aim for 12–18" of loosened, rock-free soil for longer roots. Not an option? Choose a baby carrot variety or Chantenay/Danvers type.

🥕 Always direct-sow seeds
Transplanting disturbs the taproot. Direct-sow 1/4" deep for happy carrots!

🥕 Keep seeds moist with a light cover
Germination can take 7–21 days! Use a thin mulch or burlap to hold moisture. Remove when you start seeing sprouts.

🥕 Thin to 2 inches apart
Snip crowded carrots at the soil line when seedlings are 1–2" tall (aka “thinning”). Without proper spacing, seedlings compete for light, water, and nutrients. This leads to stunted and unhappy carrots!

🥕 Go easy on nitrogen
Too much nitrogen means lots of leaves and funky roots. Skip high nitrogen fertilizers and avoid planting with beans. (Why? Legumes enrich soil with nitrogen, making it a great companion plant for nitrogen-loving veggies and leafy greens!)

Learn more about carrots and other fall veggies at our FREE gardening classes!

RSVP here ➡️ Free Gardening Classes: Roots & Shoots! 🥕🥬🪏

10/06/2025

⚠️ WIC Clinic will be closed Oct 13-14 ⚠️
⚠️ La clínica WIC estará cerrada del 13 al 14 de octubre ⚠️

The Port Arthur WIC program will be closed Monday, October 13th and Tuesday, October 14th. We will reopen for normal business hours on Wednesday, October 15th.

For immediate assistance, please contact the Texas WIC state office at https://texaswic.org/about-wic/contact-us

El programa WIC de Port Arthur estará cerrado el lunes 13 de octubre y el martes 14 de octubre. Reabriremos con horario normal el miércoles 15 de octubre.

Para asistencia inmediata, comuníquese con la oficina estatal de Texas WIC: https://texaswic.org/es/quienes-somos/comunicate-con-nosotros

10/03/2025

Breastfeeding isn't always easy. We're here to help boost your latch confidence so you can meet your bf goals 💪 😎

Let's talk about getting the good latch.

✨ Comfort matters ✨

Getting comfy is key - both mind and body. Whether you are currently breastfeeding or pregnant with nursing goals in mind, these simple tips can help you understand and prep for getting the good latch!

✨ What does "The Good Latch" feel like? ✨
✅ Deep, secure latch
✅ Baby's mouth wide & chin on breast
✅ No "squished nose" for baby
✅ You hear/see swallows
✅ Gentle tugging or pulling, never painful

✨ Comfort tips for pregnancy ✨
✅ Learn the latch
Knowing what a good latch looks like can ease anxiety and make your bf sessions more relaxing - for both you and baby!

✅ Ask for info
Your birthing center can help you prep for breastfeeding on day 1! Ask about their skin-to-skin and early initiation policies from the Texas Ten Steps framework!

✅ Join a FREE Lactation Social Hour group! ✨
Get FREE support with a breastfeeding expert at Lactation Social Hour (or as we like to call it... LSH 😎)

This monthly meet-up gives breastfeeding and pregnant women FREE access to a lactation expert and mom-to-mom support in a safe space filled with awesome people 💜

No fees, no forms, no pressure. Just peace of mind.

(Oh, and did we mention LSH is 100% free?)

Join a Lactation Social Hour group near you! Now available at 3 locations across SETX:

🩵 Lactation Social Hour @ Port Arthur Health Dept ✨
💜 Lactation Social Hour @ The Medical Center ✨
🩷 Lactation Social Hour @ Baptist Hospitals of SETX ✨

Questions? Call (409) 983-8875.

10/01/2025

10/01/2025

Say hello to our fall garden veggies for October! 🍂🍁

Every Wednesday this month, our FREE "Roots & Shoots" gardening classes will dig into health benefits, growing tips, and tasty recipes for these cool-season veggies:

🥕 Carrots ➜ root veggie
🫜 Beets ➜ root veggie
🥬 Kale ➜ leafy green
🥬 Spinach ➜ leafy green

Don’t miss our first Roots & Shoots class:
📅 Wed, Oct 1 @ 4 PM

See more class dates and RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/share/19ktn43Vuo/

Questions? Call (409) 983-8875.

09/25/2025

The next session will take place on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 5:15 p.m. Those attending need to go to Door #8.

09/24/2025

💛 Living Out Loud Ministry, First Sixth Street Baptist Church 💛
This thank-you is overdue, but our gratitude still runs deep! We’d like to say a special THANK YOU to the Living Out Loud Ministry of First Sixth Street Baptist Church for generously supplying The Giving Tree Community Closet with essential items! All donations go to local families-in-need who attend a health class through one of our community partners.

The Giving Tree operates through community support, so every single item donated makes an impact 💛

To our supporters at Living Out Loud Ministry—THANK YOU! Because of neighbors like you, The Giving Tree Community Closet can continue helping local families. We are so grateful for your generosity, your kindness, and your passion for our community 💛 Thank you!

09/23/2025

Drive-Thru Flu Clinic!

09/23/2025

On September 16, 2025, the Port Arthur Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) hosted a Parent-Child Swim Class for NFP clients. In collaboration with the Port Arthur YMCA, eleven families enjoyed a fun and engaging time in the pool.
NFP is a home visitation program where nurses work one-on-one with first-time parents, helping them learn how to become the best parents they can be. These nurses spend significant time teaching parents different ways to interact meaningfully with their children.
Emotional connectedness between a child and their parent is a critical element of healthy development. Sharing positive emotions fosters strong family bonds. When families engage in shared positive experiences, children tend to grow more independent and resilient, and parents often gain greater confidence in their parenting abilities. Creating and strengthening that emotional connection was the main purpose of this event.
Crystal Meadowcroft, Director of Aquatics and Outdoor Programs at the YMCA, led parents through several interactive songs. Each song involved fun, engaging motions performed with their children, all aimed at encouraging meaningful parent-child interaction.
The parents, children, and NFP staff all enjoyed the event. Smiles and laughter filled the space. NFP plans to host similar events in the future.

09/20/2025

Join us on October 1 for our annual Drive-Thru Flu Clinic! Get your flu protection from the comfort of your car. Perfect for low-mobility loved ones or families with a busy schedule! No RSVP or reservations required.

➡️ Kids are FREE! (6 months – 18 years old)
➡️ Adults are $10 (19 years and older)
➡️ Please bring exact change!

Drive-Thru Flu Clinic details:
📅 Wednesday, October 1
⏰ 7:30 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Port Arthur Health Department
📍 5860 9th Ave, Port Arthur, TX

Our passionate immunizations team is ready to help protect your family this flu season! Questions? Call them at (409) 983-8874.

09/16/2025

Are you a cancer survivor? Join the Gift of Life, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Port Arthur Health Department for Active Living After Cancer!

This FREE 12-week program helps cancer survivors increase physical activity, discover survivorship resources, and build connections with other survivors!

Participating in Active Living After Cancer can also help:
✅ Reduce risk of cancer recurrence
✅ Reduce fatigue
✅ Manage stress
✅ Improve strength

Active Living After Cancer is open to cancer survivors and caregivers who are not currently receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment. ALAC will meet every Thursday at 5:15 PM at the Port Arthur Health Department (Door #8) for 12 weeks.

Session #1 Details:
📅 Thursday, September 18
⏱️ 5:15 PM
📍 Port Arthur Health Department, Entrance #8
📍 5860 9th Ave, Entrance #8, Port Arthur, TX

Questions? Call Joni Day at (409) 833-3663.

08/29/2025

It's been a busy week for The Giving Tree Community Closet! Thanks to a generous donation from the Gulf Coast Health Center, we are distributing formula stock that is set to expire soon. This formula is free. It is available on a first come, first serve basis while inventory lasts.

Limited stock set to expire soon. Call ahead to check availability. First come, first serve!

📞 (409) 983-8834