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PARTNERSHIP CONNECTIONS!
"Through the Food and Fitness Partnership, Nancy Bruning (Fitness Alfresco) and the West Harlem Action Network Against Poverty and Cathedral Community Cares are researching the feasibility of establishing a corps of neighborhood fitness trainers. This corps would organize exercise and walking groups to promote community through health and well-being.."
- Michael Paone & Nancy Bruning
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NYC SCHOOLS LAGGING BEHIND ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION
A report by Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum found 3 percent of third graders had gym class every day, despite a state mandate. State law requires students in kindergarten through third grade participate in gym class daily, and fourth through sixth graders participate thee times a week. The survey questioned 100 random elementary schools and 50 randomly selected middle schools throughout the five boroughs. The report urges the Department of Education to meet state requirements and provide extracurricular activities. See full report here. |
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS!
Young Heroes, a service learning Saturday program for MS students run by City Year, held a "Nutrition in Your Community" worskhop with the help of NYC Food and Fitness Partnership. Students learned about healthy intake, and also researched food choices in their community. This included a photo essay project and interviewing business owners. Students found that most food available in Hunts Point was pizza, burgers, fries, deli sandwiches and fried chicken. The photo essay projects are now on display at 8 different MS across Hunts Point. |
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HEALTHY CORNER STORES NETWORK AND COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY COALITIONATION CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Grant Amount: three grants up to $20,000 will be awarded, plus additional technical assistance (up to $5,000 per grantee). Applicants must provide a one-to-one match (cash and/or in-kind)
Grant Period: 12 to 16 months, with the start date between July 1 and November 30, 2008, and the end date by November 30, 2009 (applicant may choose within this range). Grant Deadline: May 14, 2008 by 6:00 Pacific time. Grant Eligibility: U.S.-based nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. www.healthycornerstores.org
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM
Closing Date for Applications: Jun 30, 2008
The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) established the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program (EJSG) in fiscal year (FY) 1994. The purpose of this grant program is to support and empower communities that are working on local solutions to local environmental and/or public health issues. The EJSG Program is designed to assist recipients in building collaborative partnerships that will help them understand and address the environmental and/or public health issues in their communities. Successful collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders involve well-designed strategic plans to build, maintain and sustain the partnerships, and to work towards addressing the local environmental and/or public health issues.
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The rising number of grocery store closings has become a serious concern, especially considering the already alarming lack of access to healthy food for many low income NYC residents.
In this issue, please take note of key upcoming events around grocery store closings including a town hall meeting in the Bronx, and a NYS Food Policy Council Listening Session in Harlem.
Meanwhile, the City Planning Department has released a study on the topic, and the NYC Supermarket Commission has convened.
To learn more, follow these links:
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PARTNERSHIP NEWS
Community Grants Round 1 closed
The Partnership received 20 proposals for Round 1 of its Community Granting project. Special thanks to The Project Selection Committee for their hard work and time spent reviewing and scoring proposals. Grantee awards will be released later this week.
Summer Internship
Please join us in welcoming Ganesh Deonandan, who will begin a summer intership with the Partnership on June 6th. Ganesh is majoring in Community Health Education at Hunter College and will be graduating in December 2008. Ganesh is currently working as an Assistant Manager at his local grocery store. Although his supervisor is not looking forward to his departure, Ganesh is looking forward to this internship linking what he has learned about community health with hands on experience.
Learn more about the Food and Fitness initiative across the country, go to www.wkkf.org/faf.
We're all working together to make change! |
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ACTION TEAM NEWS
Under the guidance of co-chairs Sharon Akabas and Maura Frank, CSAT (Clinical Settings Action Team) has developed a two-pronged approach to tackling issues of obesity in the clinical environment. The (CSAT)
First, the team is developing resources based on the idea of consistent messages and algorithms for practitioners, guides to motivational interviewing, resource listings of programs for treatment of obesity, and proper measurement techniques for determining and plotting BMI.
A short term goal is to create a "toolkit" to address these issues, with a long-term intention of wide implementation of this and other resources with complementary training for health care practitioners. The toolkit initiative is being developed in conjunction with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Health and Hospitals Cooperation. One of our biggest challenges is reaching and understanding the needs of community based practitioners. If you are able to link us to those providers (community health care workers, dentists, nurses, nutritionists, physicians), we ask that you please contact us.
The second prong is focused on transforming the nutrition environment within the hospital setting to reflect a healthier diet with an emphasis on "green" options. This healthier hospital initiative is being spearheaded by Toni Liquori.
New York City has a broad spectrum of providers, and as we develop our plan we hope to gain further input. If you are interested in joining our efforts, please contact Sharon Akabas at sa109@columbia.edu |
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
The Harlem Food and Fitness Consortium along with WeAct for Environmental Justice have successfully advocated for a Listening Session by the NYS Council on Food Policy. The Consortium will also be holding workshops in English and Spanish in preparation:
Thursday, May 15th 5:30-7pm
125th St. Library
224 125th St. @ 3rd Ave
Assistance will be provided to anyone wishing to prepare testimony for the 5/29 Listening Session.
Thursday, May 29th 5-7pm
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Building
125th St. @ Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd
The NYS Council on Food Policy Listening Session |
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
The New York Liberty of the WNBA
The New York LIberty of the WNBA has partnered with America on the Move Foundation to create a health and wellness program to challenge NYC residents to get fit.
The Liberty Health Challenge will launch May 19th. Fans can register online to track and moniter their progress in this 6 week challenge.
Each person who completes 300,000 steps will be eligible for a chance to shoot a half court shot worth $10,000 at their Fan Appreciation game on September 14th. Spread the word and sign up today!
East Harlem REACH Impact Diabetes Center
In 2007, the CDC designated 18 institutions as Centers of Excellence for the Elimination of Health Disparities and awarded them five-year grants to work to eliminate health diparities for specific condition in their respective communities.
East Harlem's Center of Excellence, the Inspired and Motivated to Prevent and Control (IMPACT) Diabetes, focuses on diabetes in Latinos and African Americans. The Center's goal is to better prevent and control diabetes in East Harlem, the region and state. This Center works towards building a diverse think tank of people from all different backgrounds, expertise and experiences to construct creative, effective, and long-lasting approaches. The Center aims to become a regional and national leader in eliminating diabetes disparities.
Neighborhood Outdoor Exercise for NY (NOENY)
NOENY, a non-profit corporation serving Brooklyn and all of NYC, invites all NYC Food and Fitness Partnership members to paricipate in a fun project called, "Images of Fountains."
Grab a camera, take a walk, find anyone or more of the 2,366 water fountains officially tabulated to exist in NYC and take some pictures!
You can post your fountain images on our web site www.urbanfitnessnetwork.org, as part of NOENY's Natural Resource/Outdoor Awareness initiative.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
THURSDAY, MAY 15th 6-8pm
Town Hall Meeting: Key Foods in Bruckner Plaza in Danger of Closure
IS 131, 885 Bolton Ave.
Community members are being strongly encouraged to attend this town hall meeting. Organizers would like the Soundview Community to get support to extend the store's lease at an affordable price. Plans for a May 22nd rally will be discussed as well.
FRIDAY, MAY 16th 9:30am-4pm
2008 Report Card on NYC's Food and Nutrition Policies
Hunter College will be hosting a conference on NYC's Food and Nutrition Policies. Email Dr. Arlene Spark, drspark99@aol.com, if you are interested in registering.
Conference Overview:
- The morning session will provide and overview of NYC's current food and nutrition policies
- Working lunch to evaluate different aspects of NYC's various food policies.
- final panel presentation
- closing remarks by Christine Quinn
SATURDAY, MAY 20th 8am-1pm
Fit City 3: Promoting Physical Activity Through Design
Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York
Join the American Institute of Architects, NY Chapter, and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for a conference that will examine the role that architecture and public policy can play in promoting physical activity for New Yorkers. This year, panels will focus on "PlaNYC and a Fit NYC" and "Thoughts from the Field" of development and construction. Keynote remarks will be delivered by Dr. James Sallis, director of Active Living Research, and Jan Gehl, Hon. FAIA, eminent urban planner and public space consultant from Copenhagen, Denmark.
To view a report of the Fit City 1 conference proceedings and findings, please follow this link.
TUESDAY, MAY 27th 4pm-8pm
3rd Annual NYC Greenway Summit
Hunter College West Building, Room W615
68th Street at Lexington
The Greenway Summit will bring together over one hundred invited community leaders, advocates, government employees, elected officials, planners and users to discuss a wide array of greenway issues. Break-out session include:
- Greenways & Community Development: Lessons from the Bronx
- Queens Cranks it Up: Greenway Coalition Building
- Mainenance and Access: Harlem River Park
- Funding: A Brooklyn Greenway perspective
- Re-imagining Urban Greenways: Best Practices from US and abroad
SATURDAY, MAY 31st 10am-1pm
Spring into Action with Harlem Food and Fitness Consortium
Madison Ave from 121st to 123rd.
Walk the East Harlem Trail with Harlem Food and Fitness Consortium members. The 2.8 mile walk starts and ends at Marcus Garvey Park. Health Fair and Giveaways!
SATURDAY, MAY 31st 10am-4pm
HealthCorps Five Boro Health Festival
Entertainment, exercise, prizes, giveaways, health screenings and opportunities to consult with health and fitness professionals.
Health Fairs will take place inside gyms and outside schools at the following locations:
- Tottenville HS, SI 10am-2pm
- Grand Street Enterprise HS, Bk 10am-2pm
- Hillcrest HS, Qns 11am-3pm
- Lehman HS, Bx 12-4pm
- Boriken Health Center, Mnhtn 12-4pm |
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