As a former Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), HeartCorps service member TyLinn Dodd has always enjoyed helping others.
In her role as a health educator serving out of the North Central District Health Department in O’Neill, Nebraska, TyLinn now brings important training to a vast nine-county area that spans the Nebraska plains.
“I’ve always enjoyed taking care of people and helping people, and this is just a different version of that,” she said.
In addition to teaching about heart health and encouraging people to monitor their own blood pressure, TyLinn travels to senior centers in nearby towns to lead Bingocize sessions, which merges bingo, exercise, and fall prevention education. The workshops aim to improve all functional fitness including range of motion, balance, muscle strength, and cardio-respiratory endurance. The American Heart Association operates the AmeriCorps program, HeartCorps.
HeartCorps Member TyLinn Dodd
Participants let TyLinn know that they are having fun and seeing the health benefits.
“They have told me they feel the progress,” she said.
TyLinn is also excited to hit the road to offer the Healthy for Life program, a community-based nutrition and well-being initiative launched by the American Heart Association and Aramark that encourages people to make healthy food, nutrition, and lifestyle choices.
Poor diet is a leading risk factor for morbidity and mortality in the U.S. and contributes to one in five deaths globally, according to 2021 research. TyLinn’s goal is to help high school juniors and seniors adopt a healthier lifestyle instead of going out and eating fast food all the time just because it’s convenient.
“I know when I was in college, I did that all the time,” she said. “It not only drains your bank account, but it drains your energy, and in the end, you just end up feeling more defeated that you could have done something to make it a little bit easier for yourself.”
The American Heart Association operates the Americorps program, HeartCorps. Read more HeartCorps stories here.