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NYC Food and Fitness Partnership and Partners Work to Improve School Food
During the months of November and December, NYC Food and Fitness Partnership sponsored a series of Parent Advocacy Workshops in collaboration with the Brooklyn Food Coalition, City Harvest, Food Bank for New York City, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Brooklyn District Public Health Office Healthy Schools Initiative. All workshops were held in our focus area, Central Brooklyn, in schools and community-based organizations and were designed to provide parents with valuable information and resources to be better advocates and to improve the school food environment in their children's schools. Workshops offered an overview of the school food system in NYC, community health statistics, and an activity that engaged parents in a planning process to improve school food. NYCFAF and collaborating partners are now evaluating the workshops and hope to share materials and lessons learned with other community groups addressing school food issues. Governor Paterson Promotes Sustainable Local FarmsThere are seven million acres devoted to agriculture throughout the New York State, and New York's family farms generate $4.4 billion in annual sales. In December, Governor Paterson signed Executive Order No. 39, establishing State policies for the promotion of sustainable local farms and the protection of agricultural lands. For the entire story, click here.To read Executive Order No. 39, click here. U.S. Dietary Guidelines About to ChangeRead US News article on how the federal government's soon to be released 2010 dietary guidelines confronts obesity and encourages healthier eating for Amerciana. For the full article, click here. Community Organizer Position
Fund for Public Health in New York, Inc. has an opened position for a Community Organizer. Under the supervision of the Strategic Alliance for Health (SAFH) Director, the Community Organizer will be primarily responsible for making sure that the goals and objectives contained in the Community Action Plan are met. To see full job description, click here.
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2011 Excellence in School Wellness Award Applications Available!
NYC Strategic Alliance for Health (SAfH) partners have developed the Excellence in School Wellness Award to publicly acknowledge and applaud schools that are champions in nutrition, physical activity and wellness. This award recognizes elementary schools for their efforts in creating healthy school environments as a means to prevent childhood obesity and improve academic achievement.
Elementary schools located in the Bronx, Northern Manhattan and North and Central Brooklyn are eligible to apply. Elementary schools that are interested in applying, download the application and guidelines here. Applications are due, Friday, April 22, 2010. If you have any questions, contact SAfH via email.
Detroit Food and Fitness Collaborative Works to Improve School Lunch
Detroit, along with New York City, is one of nine Food & Fitness projects across the country supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Read about how friends in Detroit - the Detroit Food and Fitness Collaborative, Food System Economic Partnership, and Detroit Public Schools' Office of Food Service - provides locally grown food to Detroit schools through Farm to School Programs. For more information, click here. |
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USDA and Sesame Street Join Forces to Improve Childhood Nutrition
In collaboration with the USDA, Sesame Workshop recently launched a bilingual, multimedia program - "Food for Thought: Eating Well on a Budget" - designed to help support families with children between the ages of 2 and 8. Through the Food For Thought program, resource kits will be distributed to families all around the country focused on coping with uncertain or limited access to affordable and nutritious food. Among other things, these kits include videos that explore the importance of and tips for healthy eating in times of economic strain. Click here to read the USDA's official press release.
Healthy Food Financing Initiative Bill Introduced
On November 30, a bipartisan coalition in the House and Senate introduced a bill in both chambers that would invest $500 million into a national Healthy Food Financing Initiative. This program would help leverage investment for creating or expanding healthy food outlets in underserved communities, thereby reducing the number of low-income Americans living in so-called "food deserts." Click here to read the press release from PolicyLink, or visit CFSC's policy page for more background on the Healthy Food Financing Initiative.
The Community Food Security Coalition is Now Accepting Proposals
The Community Food Security Coalition is now accepting proposals for their upcoming conference, "Food Policy from Neighborhood to Nation." The conference will be held May 19 - 21, 2011 in Portland, OR and will bring together elected officials, government staff, academics and advocates for three days of networking, peer-to-peer learning, and skill building. For information on the conference, click here. To download the Request for Proposal, click here. The proposal deadline is January 28, 2011.
The NYC Green Cart program is Seeking New Vendors!
NYC Green Carts are mobile food stands that exclusively sell fresh fruits and vegetables in the areas that need them most. Are you looking for a job? Or know someone who is? Tell everyone you know, including your clients, customers, and friends that in March, we will be accepting new applications to be on the Green Cart waiting list for a Green Cart permit! For dates and times for workshops in Queens, the Bronx and Harlem, call 212-943-1433 and for Brooklyn call 212-676-2022. Workshops begin as early as January 11th.
Blackgirlfit!
Roughly 80% of U.S. Black women are overweight, while just over 50% classify as obese. This website offers support, guidance, and resources for all Black women looking to improve their overall health. Click here for website. |
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Playstreets Application Deadline Extended
In 2011-2012, the NYC DOHMH will continue its work with community groups and schools to create Playstreets for outdoor recreation. This past year, Playstreets were hosted next to farmers markets, schools, and other community sites and attracted hundreds of children and adults to take part in free, outdoor fitness and recreation. NYC DOHMH is extending the application deadline for groups interested in developing a 2011 a Playstreet to January 15th.
Find the letter of interest form here here and worksheet here. Forms should be and mail to: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Playstreets Coordinator, Built Environment Program, 120 Wall Street, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10005 or fax to 212-361-2169.
Report on After School Programs and Childhood Obesity
On Thursday, November 18th the NYC Strategic Alliance for Health convened a meeting of after school programs, city agencies representatives and public health advocates to discuss the findings of the NYC Strategic Alliance for Health report on After School Programs and Childhood Obesity. Click here to download the report.
The attendees from after school programs were able to identify concrete opportunities on how daily physical activity programming could occur in their existing environment and how program, leaders can be more involved in the snacks and meals offered. For notes on the meeting, click here.
Street Safety for Pedestrians in San Francisco
A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle, highlights safety issues affecting the city's pedestrians. In 2008, more than 800 collisions involved pedestrian, thirty-five people were killed that year and pedestrians account for about half the people killed in traffic collisions, and collisions on streets cost an estimated $280 million per year. For the full story, and to learn how advocates are addressing the issue, click here. |
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NYC Food and Fitness Partnership's January Youth Film Event
This year, the NYC Food & Fitness Partnership will partner with city-wide youth and youth organizations to find solutions to the food and fitness issues affecting families, schools and communities. The Partnership and youth partners will host quarterly events that will provide a forum for youth to gather, share their experiences, advocate, and further develop their leadership skills in the healthy living movement.
Our first event will be a film screening at the Horticulture Society on January 29th (11am--2pm). High schools students and staff working on food and fitness issues are invited to come. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP via email.. For more information on upcoming youth events, please visit our website.
Fast-Food Restaurants Dish Up Unhealthy Marketing to Youths
Children as young as two years old are seeing more fast-food ads than ever before, and fast-food restaurants rarely offer parents the healthy kids' meal choices, according to a new study from Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. Fast Food FACTS, the most comprehensive study of fast-food nutrition and marketing ever conducted, shows that fast-food marketers target children across a variety of media. The study also finds that restaurants provide largely unhealthy side dishes and drinks as the default options that come with kids' meals. Read the entire report here.
Youth Bike Summit
The Youth Bike Summit is a 3 day gathering (Jan. 14th--Jan. 16th) geared towards students, educators, and advocates in New York City and in the Northeast United States. The conference aims to inspire people from different educational disciplines together to explore, network, and learn how bicycling can be a legitimate and safe form of transportation for today's youth. The Summit is being organized by Recycle-A-Bicycle. For more information, visit their website. |
GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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Wallace Center 2011 Request for Applications
Deadline: January 14, 2011
Wallace Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development (HUFED) will fund one-to-two year grants to establish and develop food enterprises bringing more healthy food to underserved communities across the United States. The center is currently accepting Letters of Interests. After review, a subset of applicants will be invited to submit full proposals. To review or download the full set of grant guidelines, click here.
NCR-SARE 2010 Call for Proposals
Deadline: Jan. 14, 2011
Proposals are now being accepted for the 2010 North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) Youth and Youth Educator Grants. Questions? Contact Joan Benjamin at 402-472-0809, 1-800-529-1342 or email.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Peaceful Pathways
Deadline: January 15, 2011
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Local Funding Partnerships program is a matching grants program ($50,000 - $200,000) that connects the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with local grant-makers to fund new, community-based projects to improve health and health care for vulnerable populations. The Peaceful Pathways: Reducing Exposure to Violence grant seeks to fund projects aimed at reducing violence in traditionally underserved communities that are defined by race, ethnicity, tribe, gender, sexual identity or rural/frontier location. For more information and to apply for this funding, click here.
Joan H. Tisch Community Health Prize
Nomination deadline: January 20, 2011
The Hunter College Foundation is seeking nominations for this $10,000 award that recognizes individuals or nonprofit organizations in the New York metropolitan area for outstanding accomplishments in the field of urban public health. The nominee's work should be focused on improving urban public health. Nominations guidelines and form are available here.
IATP Food and Society Fellowships
Deadline: January 18, 2011
IATP Food and Society Fellows program provides fellowships for individuals to envision advocate and create a just, equitable and healthy food system from its roots up. Applicants, therefore, should have "fresh ideas" that have a policy component, pilot innovative projects that can be widely replicated by others, or build and engage the voice of communities for self-advocacy around important food issues. People of color and applicants who work in communities of color are particularly encouraged to apply. For more information and application information,
click here.
Apply for a New Yorkers for Better Neighborhoods Award!
Deadline: January 31, 2011
Citizens Committee for New York City awards grants of $500 to $3,000 to volunteer-led groups for projects that bring neighbors together and that have positive community impacts. For the application, click here.
Welch's Harvest Grants - Harvest Grants Program
Deadline: February 11, 2011
Welch's is partnering with Scholastic Publishing Company and the National Gardening Association to offer grants to support school garden programs in the belief that hands-on experiences with planting, tending, and growing gardens provide a dynamic setting for learning and benefit kids of all ages. Two schools in every state will be selected to receive a Welch's Harvest Grant. Winning schools will receive a customized indoor or outdoor garden package filled with a variety of tools, seeds, and educational materials. Five winners will receive $1,000 towards their gardens and ninety-five winners will win $500 towards their gardens. Click here for grant information.
USDA Announces Wellness Grants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
The Food and Nutrition Services office in USDA recently awarded Child Care Wellness Grants to 14 states for the improvement of health and wellness in child care settings. More than $7.7 million in funding will support state agencies in implementing initiatives through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). For full press release, click here. |
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Cypress Hills/East New York Family Health and Fitness Fair
Date: January 8, 2011
Location: Cypress Hills Beacon @IS 302, 350 Lindwood Street, btwn. Atlantic Liberty
Join community residents is this first annual health event! Various fitness workshops will be available, in addition to healthy screenings and membership offers to local fitness centers, boxing gyms, dance studios, and karate schools.
Brooklyn Food & Fitness Task Force meeting
Date: January 12, 2011 (3pm-5pm)
Location: IS 271 Beacon, 1137 Herkimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11233
Open to community residents and professionals addressing food and fitness issue in Brooklyn. Attendees share resources and receive trainings on topics ranging from nutrition education to policy and system change in food and fitness.
North and Central Brooklyn Bicycle Advisory Team
Date: January 18, 2011 (6:30pm-8pm)
Location: 485 Throop Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221
Open to Brooklyn residents and advocates interested improving Brooklyn's built environment to increase opportunities for outdoor recreation and ensure safety.
What Must New York Do Now to Prevent Obesity? A Symposium of Good Ideas from the Field
Date: January 20, 2011 (11am-2:30pm, registration starts at 10:30am)
Location: The New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, New York, NY 10029. Click here for website.
10th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities
Dates: February 3-5, 2011
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
The three-day conference program includes over 100 sessions and close to 400 speakers. For more information on the conference, click here.
TEDx Manhattan "Changing the Way We Eat" Event and Webcast
Date: Saturday, Feb 12, 2010
Location: New York City
Sponsored by the Glynwood Institute for Sustainable Food and Farming, this one-day TEDx event, held in New York City, will explore the food system -- from what happened, to where we are, to what we are doing to shift to a more sustainable way of eating and farming. More information will be posted soon on their website.
Northeast Food and Justice Summit - Boston
Date: February 25 -27, 2011
Location: Curry Student Center, Northeastern University - Boston
The Northeast Food and Justice Summit will be the largest youth food justice convergence in history-uniting over 600 high school and college students and other young allies for three days. For more information and registration, click here.
Just Food's 11th Annual CSA in NYC Conference
Date: March 5, 2011
Location: Food and Finance High School, 525 W. 50th Street, NY, NY 1009
Join Just Food and community supporter agriculture (csa) members and farmers in this informational conference geared to provide communities with resources on how to start, manage, and grow csas. More details on the conference will soon be posted on Just Food's website.
 
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Make News!
If you or your organization would like to be a part of the next upcoming newsletter, please send your stories, pictures or events to newsletter@nycfoodandfitness.org | |
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