Black History Month: Creating Healthy Food Environments in the Bronx

 

Shen’naque Sean Butler and Francisco Marte, Founder of Bodega and Small Business Group

This article was written by Kelly Moltzen, Program Manager at Bronx Health REACH, Charmaine Ruddock, Project Director at Bronx Health REACH, and Bronx Health REACH Coalition member Shen’naque Sean Butler.

 

African Americans have faced injustices in the food system ever since the days of enslavement, when Africans brought to America lost the food sovereignty they had in their native lands, and as slaves, were forced to subsist on meager food rations of poor dietary quality such as pig intestines, lard and cornmeal. But resistance to these injustices has existed for just as long, with enslaved people cultivating crops from Africa such as okra, yams, black-eyed peas, and creating dishes using ingredients that were native to Africa when they could.

Fannie Lou Hamer’s founding of the Freedom Farm Cooperative in 1967 as a rural economic development and political organizing project was a later action in the Black food justice movement. The Freedom Farm Cooperative sought to uplift Black families through food provisions, such as vegetable gardens and pig-raising, and through community support for housing development and education. By providing food and financial services, the Cooperative allowed Black families to be self-sufficient. This Cooperative is seen by many as a foundation for the modern food security and food justice movements.

In the Bronx, a leader that continued this fight for food justice is Karen Washington, a Black urban farmer, and co-founder of the Black Farmer Fund. A James Beard 2014 Leadership Award Honoree, she worked to dismantle what she so aptly termed “food apartheid” in Black communities.

Recognizing the historical injustices and the power of grassroots community advocacy to address those injustices, Bronx Health REACH, since its inception, has been working with community partners to advance food justice. This has been done through efforts such as encouraging policy makers and elected officials to increase access to affordable fresh produce at farmers markets, promoting farmers and farmers markets to community members, and supporting faith-based organizations’ establishment of gardens.

For more than a decade, Bronx Health REACH has been involved in supporting local business owners selling healthy food, collaborating with the Bodega and Small Business Group (BSBG) to train bodega owners to sell healthier food, and promoting those healthier options through the creation of the “Don’t Stress, Eat Fresh” consumer campaign. In 2019, Bronx Health REACH supported Bronx community member and food justice advocate Shen’naque Sean Butler to implement his vision for a healthy bodega initiative.

Shen’naque Sean Butler’s family migrated from Savannah, Georgia, to New York during the Great Migration, seeking economic opportunities and escaping racial violence. Unfortunately, the racial injustices they sought to escape followed them in one form or the other, one of which was redlining—a government policy that systematically removed resources from Black communities. Redlining has had a lasting impact, contributing to the creation of food deserts in areas like the Bronx, where access to fresh and affordable food is severely limited.

 

As a descendant of American chattel slavery, Shen’naque Sean Butler carries not only the legacy of pain but also the resilience of his ancestors. In 2019, inspired by his late mother, Jocelyn Butler, Shen’naque founded FRESCH (Food Revolution Empowering Sustainable Community Health), to address food insecurity and promote healthier eating habits in the Bronx by connecting local food systems. He implemented a pilot group purchasing model where healthy grab-and-go food items were sold at bodegas for customers to purchase at affordable prices. This initiative included bodegas both within and outside the BSBG network.

The initiative delivers plant-based meals to local bodegas, providing nutritious options in areas where fresh food is scarce. FRESCH also hosts workshops and seminars to educate the community about healthy eating and advocates for policy changes to improve food transparency and marketing practices.

In 2024, building on FRESCH and the previous work with BSBG, Bronx Health REACH received funding from the New York Health Foundation to collaborate with BSBG, Collective Fare, Shen’naque Sean Butler, and others to pilot a sustainable business model for bodegas to sell healthy, culturally relevant grab-and-go items, in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx.

The effort to establish a healthy food retail environment with culturally relevant, affordable options for communities of color has continued, gaining momentum to counter the injustices that have gotten worse in the food system over the past several decades. Dr. Marcia Chatelain, a professor of African American history and author of the book, Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America explains an association between the food retail environment and being “Black.” Dr. Chatelain points out that in the 1960’s, the federal government, through a series of efforts, encouraged the creation of Black businesses as an opportunity to build wealth and create badly needed jobs.  During this time, the fast food industry lobbied government and convinced civil rights organizations that fast food franchising could be good for building Black wealth. Yet, the low-wage jobs created through the franchising model, coupled with the creation of unhealthy food environments in Black communities, turned out to have detrimental economic and health consequences in these communities. Exacerbating the problem was the practice of many food companies associating Black culture with their industrialized food through targeted predatory marketing of fast food and other unhealthy food products. This has had disastrous effects on the health of consumers, with disproportionate impacts especially seen in Black communities.

Despite all of this, the movement that has long embraced the narrative of cultural pride focused on an entrepreneurial model of building Black owned food businesses promoting healthy food, establishing a new cadre of Black farmers, and farmers markets, and securing new retail outlets for those foods continues. The goal of such a movement is still to improve the health and lives of Black communities.

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Recognize BHR Community Health Workers

Left to right: Cheikhou Oumar Ann, Felix Rojas, and Joseph Ellis. 

On Saturday, October 14, Cheikhou Oumar Ann, Felix Rojas and Joseph Ellis, Community Health Workers with the Institute for Family Health’s Bronx Health REACH (BHR), were recognized at a ceremony hosted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) for their outreach work with men in the community. The award was for their outstanding work during NYCDOHMH’s Harlem Family Wellness Suite Day for Dads’ event in June; and for their leadership of the Men, Let’s Talk initiative.

Since 2020, they have led Men, Let’s Talk, a monthly forum for Black and Latino men to engage in open and honest discussions about their mental health concerns. Cheikhou, Felix and Joseph have also served as the Community Outreach and Engagement Team for the CDC Covid and Flu initiative through which more than 12,000 vaccines have been administered to Bronx community residents. They also lead the Immigrant Health initiative, providing information to community members who are new immigrants in the Bronx, and referring those who need healthcare to the Institute’s health centers.

Food as Medicine: A “Prescription” for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

 

This article was written by Kenny Escobar, Nutrition & Physical Activity Coordinator, Jamila Outlar, Produce Prescription Coordinator, and Intern Stephanie Garcia.

In the winter of 2023, Bronx Health REACH and Corbin Hill Food Project Inc. (CHFP) launched the Food as Medicine Produce Prescription Program (FAM) for patients at three Bronx-based Institute for Family Health (IFH) centers to promote the consumption of healthy food.

The FAM project is funded by the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the USDA.  Project participants must be an IFH patient over 18 years of age and screen positive for food insecurity. Once enrolled, participants receive a box of high quality, fresh local fruits and vegetables on a bi-weekly basis for a minimum of six months. The average price for the box of produce is roughly $35 but through FAM the cost to patients is only $2.50. The participants can pay with SNAP, cash, debit, or credit card. Participants who have SNAP can also pay with Health Bucks.

The FAM project also provides participants with recipes at each distribution in order to encourage the eating of fruits and vegetables. These recipes include creative and helpful ways to use the produce from that week’s distribution. Food demonstrations accompany the distribution of the recipes at least once a month at each health center introducing participants to  fruits and vegetables they may not have known or previously eaten. 

Chef Yadi leading a food demonstration. 

Bronx native Chef Yadira Garcia, also known as, the “Happy Healthy Latina” or Chef Yadi, is the chef enthusiastically creating delicious and nutritious dishes for patients to try. She makes sure that patients are educated on the multiple ways to prepare the different produce and is always open to answering any questions that the participants may have. 

As of February 2024, when enrollment ended, 374 patients were enrolled in the program and 130 have completed their 6-month commitment. We will conduct a program evaluation to assess patients’ overall opinions and feedback of the program to determine the effectiveness of this intervention and the impact it has had on the participants. To date feedback from some participants indicate that the program, for them, is a resounding success. An Urban Horizons patient shared that they are “very happy as a lot of us need this program, we get healthy food and we need this in the neighborhood. You’re doing a very good thing for us." A Stevenson patient said she “enjoys this program so much as I am learning how to cook and eat different things.” A patient from Walton stated, “by receiving these produce box two times a month, I am able to eat healthier which is contributing to my weight loss.”

Food Education Roadmap: Building a Healthier Relationship with Food in Schools

 

This blog post was written by Diana Bernal, Program Coordinator for the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities program at Bronx Health REACH.

When it comes to health outcomes, nearly 40% of New York City public school children are overweight or obese and this disproportionately affects Black and Latino students.  Children living in the Bronx have the highest prevalence of being overweight at 43% compared to 38% in Manhattan, 39% in Queens, 40% in Staten Island, and 41% in Brooklyn. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of developing chronic diet-related disease, such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. 

Through our Creating Healthy Schools & Communities (CHSC) program, Bronx Health REACH works with Bronx schools to help improve their school wellness, nutrition, and physical activity. In doing so we learn the struggles schools face when it comes to the students’ health and nutrition. School leadership and teachers have told us that their students do not like the food being served to them during their school lunch period, and that many would rather eat chips, like Takis (spicy corn chips made of rolled tortillas, similar to taquitos), and other unhealthy foods. These are known as “competitive foods”, which includes all food and beverages outside of the reimbursed meals provided by schools. New good nutritious food changes, like Plant Powered Fridays, which is when students are served meatless meals, have been made in an effort to introduce more plant-based foods to children. Bronx Health REACH, through its CHSC work with schools, have discussed with school leadership  how to improve nutrition in schools. The leaders  shared, that  Plant Powered Fridays has not been well received in schools and that  the kids do not eat the food. Teachers pointed out that students are more likely to try new things when they are being engaged and taught about it, thus highlighting the need for food education. According to the Food Ed report: 

“Food education describes any combination of educational strategies, accompanied by environmental supports, designed to motivate and facilitate voluntary adoption of food choices and other food and nutrition-related behaviors that are conducive to the health and well-being of individuals, community, and the planet.” 

On June 6, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams, along with New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) Chancellor David Banks, and the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy’s Executive Director, Kate MacKenzie, announced the Food Education Roadmap to promote healthier school communities across New York City. “Prioritizing Food Education in Our Public Schools: A Path to Developing a Healthy Next Generation” provides goals, strategies and key performance indicators to ensure that students have the tools and knowledge to lead healthy lifestyles. The Roadmap Goals and Strategies focus on building on the knowledge and accessibility of healthy eating and wellness among students, as well as for those in the community who serve as advocates.  

Food education takes a wider approach and focuses on more than what healthy and non-healthy foods are. It focuses on our relationship with food and how this relationship is connected to, and affected by, other influences such as culture, economy, and communities. By implementing food education in schools, students will be able to understand why certain foods are healthier than others which will enable them to form a better relationship with food, and in turn help to guide them to making healthier choices. 

Bronx Health REACH’s many years of experience working to change the food culture of schools helping children embrace new healthy food underscores the need for food and nutrition education in  making such a change happen.   There are many resources and organizations getting kids to try new foods that are introduced in the schools through the Farm to School program that the NYCDOE Office of Food and Nutrition Services participates in. 

References:

1. FoodEdReport_010.pdf (nyc.gov) 

2. databrief1.pdf (nyc.gov) 

Join Us 9/14 for The Bronx Responds: One Year After the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health from Local to National Policies and Back

You are invited to join us on Thursday, September 14th (9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) for a virtual conference with thought provoking and action oriented discussions about food and nutrition-related work happening in the Bronx and the policy implications of this work.  In 2022, the White House held the first Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in over 50 years and as an outcome, earlier this year, a National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health was released.  The priorities of our national government and policymakers have implications for food access, affordability, and nutrition education in the Bronx and similar communities impacted by diet-related health disparities.

Topics include:

• Nutrition and Health Equity in the Bronx 

• Overview of the Farm Bill and Its Effects on Local Communities  

• Improving Food Access in Community Settings 

• Integrating Nutrition and Healthcare: Food as Medicine and Food insecurity screenings 

• Knowing What’s in Your Food: Bringing Nutrition Education to the Community

• Eating Soulfully 

• Reimagining your Local Bodega with Better Food 

• Envisioning the Food System of the Future 

Click Here to Register.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting via Zoom.

Speakers include:

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

Christina Badaracco,  Healthcare Consultant, Registered Dietitian, and Co-Author of The Farm Bill: A Citizens’ Guide

Dr. Jen Cadenhead, Executive Director, Teachers College Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education and Policy  

Rev. Dr. Christopher Carter, Author of The Spirit of Soul Food: Race, Faith, & Food Justice 

Ribka Getachew, Director of the NY Good Food Purchasing Program Campaign, Community Food Advocates 

Norma Gonzalez, Farm Share Manager, Corbin Hill Food Project 

Theresa Landau, Program Director, Morrisania WIC

Francisco Marte, President, Bodega and Small Business Group 

LaToya Meaders, Co-Founder and CEO, Collective Fare 

Dr. DeAnna Nara, Senior Policy Associate, Center for Science in the Public Interest 

Aleyna Rodriguez, Executive Director, Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center

Gladys Roman, Executive Director, Manna of Life Ministries

Ismail Samad, Interim Executive Director, Corbin Hill Food Project 

Chet Van Wert, Associate Research Scientist, NYU Stern School of Business

 

Health Disparities Workgroup Roundtable Discussion with Fordham University Faculty

 

Bronx Health REACH Health Disparities Workgroup members had a roundtable discussion with several Fordham University faculty to get expertise and feedback on the HDWG’s Asks. 

In the Spring, Bronx Health REACH Health Disparities Workgroup members had a roundtable discussion with several Fordham University faculty to elicit their expert feedback on the HDWG’s Asks. This was the first of several roundtables being planned to focus on different sections of the HDWG Asks. The particular focus of this meeting was on the economic Ask. Robert J. Brent, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Janis Barry, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics, and H. Shellae Versey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology were the participating faculty members. We are excited to continue working with Fordham University and their faculty and staff on the HDWG Asks and creating opportunities for students to engage with the community on the #Not62 campaign. Thank you to Fordham’s Keisha Shay, Ph.D., Associate Director of Academic Development and Administration and Surey Miranda-Alarcon, Director of Campus and Community Engagement, who are helping to organize the roundtables.

Fresh Food, Fresh Attitude! Increasing Access to Healthy Grab-and-Go Items at Bronx Bodegas

William is the owner of Makey Deli, located at 2704 Third Avenue in the Bronx.

This post was written by Kelly Moltzen, Program Manager for Bronx Health REACH’s Creating Healthy Schools and Communities.

On average, Americans eat more than 3,400 mg. of sodium daily – more than double the American Heart Association’s recommended daily limit of 1,500 mg. 77% of the sodium that Americans consume comes from processed foods and food served in restaurants.

In the Bronx, items that people often buy at bodegas are processed foods high in sodium, including chips, deli meats, and cheese. Bronx Health REACH, Montfiore Medical Center and City Harvest are part of the Bronx Bodega Partners Workgroup, offering healthy food retail initiatives to encourage stores to stock healthier items, such as low-sodium deli meats and healthy snack alternatives. The Workgroup launched the Don’t Stress, Eat Fresh healthy bodega marketing campaign to increase awareness of these healthier options throughout the Bronx community.

Bronx Health REACH, with support from the American Heart Association’s NYC Community Impact Grant, is collaborating with the Bronx healthy food advocate, Shen’naque Sean Butler and his “FRESCH” campaign to expand the number of bodegas selling healthy grab-and-go items. To date, Sean has organized taste tests at bodegas, schools, and in the community, offering hummus, three-bean salad, a vegan salad, and pico de gallo. Future taste tests include cut vegetables with dip, fruit cups, and overnight oats. We hope the combination of taste tests and increased access to these healthy items for sale in the community, coupled with the Don’t Stress, Eat Fresh healthy bodega marketing campaign will offer Bronx residents new items they will get excited about and support their health!

Montefiore Medical Center is collaborating with the Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District (BID)  to support bodega owners selling healthy foods such as The Bronx Salad and other healthy grab-and-go items. By partnering with NYC Small Business Services, the Jerome Gun Hill BID offers bodegas compliance consultations, financial education, trainings, advertising and promotional support, and other business support resources.

City Harvest has established a relationship with Fairway to get healthy grab-and-go items sold in supermarkets and corner stores in the Bronx. After an initial pilot phase, the following seven Bronx stores are participating in the grab-and-go program:

1. Borinquen Supermarket, 436 Brook Avenue
2. Met Food Supermarket, 649 Jackson Avenue
3. Real Supermarket, 795 Prospect Avenue
4. Makey Deli, 2704 Third Avenue
5. D & D Deli, 100 West 168th Street
6. Moe’s Quick Deli, 469 Brook Avenue
7. Wanda’s Deli, 104 Elliot Place

Consuming less sodium and more fruits and vegetables – including the items promoted through the grab-and-go program – are part of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet plan, and is an important step in reducing the risk of diet-related diseases such as hypertension and stroke.

For more information, contact Kelly Moltzen via email or call (212) 633-0800 x 1328.

Bronx Health REACH Meets with Senator Alessandra Biaggi

Left to right: Maxine Golub from the Institute for Family Health; New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi; Kelly Moltzen and Moria Byrne-Zaaloff from Bronx Health REACH; Jacqueline Chiofalo from the Institute for Family Health.

On December 12th, Bronx Health REACH's Kelly Moltzen and Moria Byrne-Zaaloff from our Creating Healthy Schools and Communities program, along with Maxine Golub and Jacqueline Chiofalo from the Institute for Family Health met and spoke with State Senator Alessandra Biaggi. Kelly and Moria discussed the WELL Campaign (Wellness, Equity & Learning Legislation) which asks for a New York State model school wellness policy, and funding to go to the New York State Education Department for school districts to develop and implement wellness policies based on the model state wellness policy.

As a supporter of the WELL Campaign, she was surprised to learn that even though other states have school wellness statutes in place, New York does not. Senator Biaggi is also a sponsor of the New York State Health Act [A.5248, S.3577], and was pleased to know that Institute for Family Health and Bronx Health REACH staff testified at hearings in the Bronx and in Kingston, NY, in support of the Act.

CMSP 327 Students Create Healthy Eating Guide

On October 24th, CMSP 327, a partner school in Bronx Health REACH's Creating Healthy Schools and Communities program held their official release of 'Snack Attack, How Can Students Make Healthy Snack Choices in School?' The 16-page booklet was created by CMSP 327 students with guidance from the Center for Urban Pedagogy and Bronx Health REACH. The students presented on their experiences creating the booklet during an event held at the BronxNet.

In 2018, Bronx Health REACH created a program for teachers to learn about countermarketing and how to implement a curriculum on the topic modeled on the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute’s Youth Food Educators program. In Spring 2019, Bronx school partners had the opportunity to participate in a countermarketing competition based on the campaigns they created using the curriculum. As the winner of the competition, CMSP 327 students attended a course led by the Center for Urban Pedagogy and Bronx Health REACH. The final project that resulted from the students’ work was the booklet.

At the event, students shared their thoughts on creating the booklet. "They learned precisely what we hoped they would learn about the foods sold in schools and their communities. Unhealthy food marketing is targeting Black & Latino youth in low-income communities," said Kelly Moltzen, Program Manager for  Creating Healthy Schools and Communities at Bronx Health REACH. "They understand the challenges their community faces and seem motivated to keep spreading the word and advocating for change."

Click here to read Snack Attack, How Can Students Make Healthy Snack Choices in School?'

Yo Bronx! Eat Fresh Events held at Two Bodegas

In November, Bronx Health REACH held two Yo Bronx! Eat Fresh Bronx Bodega tasting events. The events took place at G Deli, (551 East 178th Street) and Green Earth Food Deli Grocery (382 East 205th Street). The Fresch team, partners in this effort which is partly funded by the American Heart Association (AHA) Community Impact Grant awarded to Bronx Health REACH in the Fall, offered healthy food samples to bodega customers. Many customers answered surveys on the taste tests at both events. 36 surveys were collected from both events. Results from the surveys will determine which food items will be sold at our partner bodegas. At the Yo Bronx! Eat fresh event at G Deli, customers reported that they found the samples very delicious. "This is my third sample of the three bean salad," said Jonathan. 

Bronx Health REACH and the Institute for Family Health Urban Horizons Family Health Center Help Address Food Insecurity amongst Patients

This post was written by Mickelder Kercy, Evaluation Assistant for Bronx Health REACH.

Bronx Health REACH and the Institute for Family Health’s Urban Horizons Family Health Center (IFH) are implementing an innovative program that aims to bridge the gap between a health center and community-based organizations (CBOs) to improve patients’ health behaviors and health outcomes.

This CDC-funded program will have two main components: a screening phase and a referral phase. At the IFH Urban Horizons Family Health Center, all patients who are 18 years and older will be screened to determine if they are food insecure.

Patients who identify as food insecure will meet with a physician who will then refer them to a case manager. The case manager will connect the patient with resources in the community using “Aunt Bertha,” an online platform that lists up-to-date information about community-based organizations, as well as tracks the referrals to ensure that the needs of the patient are met. Bronx Health REACH is developing partnerships with food pantries and soup kitchens near Urban Horizons Family Health Center to ensure that these organizations have the ability to serve our patients.

We are ideally looking for food pantries and soup kitchens that accept a wide range of clients, serve/provide healthy foods, and offer additional support services. The goal of this intervention is to provide patients who lack sufficient food at home to have access to, and consume, nutritionally healthy foods. This is important, as many of our patients suffer from diabetes, hypertension and obesity. One patient has told us, “I just accept what they (the food pantry) offer. There’s not a lot of really fresh food, only one fruit.” Another patient added, “They have old food and it is not healthy. We need to help people with illnesses to prevent chronic conditions.”

The Food Insecurity Screening and Referral Program will be monitored and evaluated by our evaluation team to measure the impact of the program. We will report on the number of patients screened positively for food insecurity at Urban Horizons Family Health Center and referred to CBOs in their neighborhood. Data will also be collected on the number of patients identified as food insecure who have a diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension or obesity.

When analyzing the data, our evaluation team will estimate the percentage of patients screened for food insecurity who are no longer food insecure after one year of receiving supplemental foods at the CBOs, as a means of measuring program impact. Additionally, we will evaluate the potential impact of the program on patient blood sugar level, blood pressure level and/or weight.

To ensure that patients are satisfied with the Food Insecurity Screening and Referral Program, a sample of patients who were part of the program will be interviewed during the first 6 months of the intervention. We will also solicit feedback from participating staff at the health center and CBOs.

Bronx Health REACH plans to share key findings from this innovative program. If the program is successful, the ultimate goal will be to scale up and implement the Food Insecurity Screening and Referral Program at all Institute for Family Health centers to help mitigate food insecurity amongst our patients and by doing so, improve their health status.

Bronx Health REACH Coalition's #Not62 Rally in the Media

The Bronx Health REACH Coalition's #Not62 rally, held on December 2, received a lot of media attention in December. Our Health Disparities Workgroup members appeared on Bronxnet's Stay Alive with Church Alive and OPEN. Bronxnet also covered the rally and interviewed some of the featured speakers. Finally, the Riverdale Press and the Bronx Times covered the rally as well.

Bronx Health REACH Health Disparities Workgroup Meets with Mayor, Bronx Borough President, City Council Health Committee Chair; Holds Rally at City Hall to Demand that Elected Officials Make the Bronx a Priority

Members of the Bronx Health REACH Health Disparities Workgroup presented Mayor Bill de Blasio with over 2000 signed postcards from Bronx residents urging elected officials to make the health of the Bronx a priority.

 On Monday, November 25th, members of the Bronx Health REACH Coalition’s Health Disparities Workgroup met with Mayor Bill de Blasio to discuss the need for his administration to prioritize the Bronx in light of its persistent last place ranking in health outcomes among New York State’s 62 counties. The Coalition asked the Mayor to ensure that his Administration makes the health of the Bronx a top priority at all levels and in all sectors of New York City’s government, including healthcare, housing, economic development, education, transportation, etc. To demonstrate the broad concern about this problem among Bronx residents, Bronx Health REACH Project Director Charmaine Ruddock and two members of the Health Disparities Workgroup presented the Mayor with over 2,000 signed postcards from Bronx residents.

For the past ten years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin have released the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps Report that measures health outcomes and contributing factors such as education, employment, income and the environment, all of which contribute to the community’s health and the quality of life of its residents. The 2019 report ranked Bronx County 62 out of the 62 counties in New York State, as it has in each of the previous 9 reports. Presently the health ranking of the other four counties/boroughs of NYC is: NYC/Manhattan (5); Queens (8); Brooklyn/Kings County (17); Staten Island/Richmond County (28). All four had their rankings improve from last year. Not so the Bronx.

At the meeting, the Bronx Health REACH representatives asked the Administration to create a task force to identify and address the factors that continually keep the Bronx ranked as the unhealthiest county; have all New York City agencies make the Bronx a funding priority; and appoint a liaison from the Mayor’s office to work with the #Not62: A Campaign for a Healthy Bronx!

Over 50 people attended a #Not62 Rally on the steps of New York City Hall to demand that New York State elected officials make the health of the Bronx a top priority at all levels and in all sectors of government.

 On Tuesday, December 3rd over 50 people gathered for a #Not62: The Campaign for a Healthy Bronx! rally on the steps of New York City Hall. Community leaders from several Bronx based community groups and Council Member Vanessa L. Gibson joined the rally to ask the Mayor, the Bronx Borough President, City Council members and New York State elected officials make the health of the Bronx a top priority.

“The Bronx Health REACH Coalition and its many partners and collaborators have been working hard to ensure that Bronx residents have all the opportunities they need to be healthier,
but we can only do so much. If the Bronx is to no longer rank dead last in all New York State counties in health outcomes, the health of its residents must become a top priority of the elected leadership of New York City and New York State and the entire Bronx community,” remarked Charmaine Ruddock, Project Director for Bronx Health REACH.

Dr. Neil Calman, President and CEO of the Institute for Family Health, which has led the Bronx Health REACH Coalition since 1999, stated, “It is critical that the state and the city work together to address social determinants of health – housing, education, and employment – in order to make real, sustainable changes in the health of the community.”

“Though progress in the Bronx has been made to address the health disparities that persist, much more work remains to be done,” said Council Member Vanessa L. Gibson (Bronx, District 16). “The Jerome Avenue Public Health Taskforce will be releasing a report examining the social determinants of health along Jerome Avenue. By focusing on housing, economic development, public outdoor spaces, healthcare quality and access, and our local food environment, this report will highlight the many ways we can collaborate on all levels of government as well as through local community partnerships to turn the tide on the overall health of our community, and the Bronx as a whole.”

“Year after year, the Bronx ranks 62 out of 62 in health outcomes – the result of a myriad of factors, including air and water pollution, insufficient access to safe and affordable housing, and a lack of access to quality healthcare,” said State Senator Alessandra Biaggi (D-Bronx/Westchester). “If we want our laws to reflect our promise to keep New Yorkers healthy, we must create comprehensive, health coverage for all and pass the New York Health Act. We must prioritize the Bronx at both the state and city level – by putting the Bronx at the top of the list we can start to reverse the trend, and improve health outcomes for Bronxites.”

In 2014 #Not62: A Campaign for A Healthy Bronx! was launched by the Bronx Borough President, the Bronx District Public Health Office, the Institute for Family Health/Bronx Health REACH, and Montefiore Health Systems, Inc. as a direct response to the ranking.

As a founding member of #Not62: A Campaign for a Healthy Bronx!, the Institute for Family Health/Bronx Health REACH Coalition is proud of its efforts to serve as a model of community empowerment that demonstrates how to build healthier communities. We do this by promoting primary prevention through health education; and advocating for the necessary policy, systems and environmental changes that leads to a transformed community that supports health and wellness.

Left to right: Barbara Estrin from the Bronx Health REACH Health Disparities Workgroup, NYC Council Member and Chair of the Council Committee on Health Mark Levine, and Bronx Health REACH's Charmaine Ruddock.

On December 18th, Charmaine Ruddock and Barbara Estrin from the Bronx Health REACH Health Disparities Workgroup met with Council Member and Chair of the Council Committee on Health, Mark Levine. We spoke with Council Member Levine about the  #Not62: A Campaign for a Healthy Bronx! He offered suggestions on how best to go about securing future City Council funding to support the Campaign.

Bronx Health REACH Video Shown at American Public Health Association's 2019 Global Public Health Film Festival

Bronx Health REACH will be showing our video, "Bronx Health REACH: 20 Years of Making Health Equality a Reality," at the 2019 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo as part of the American Public Health Association's 2019 Global Public Health Film Festival. If you are attending, you can view our video at at 9 a.m. at the Pennsylvania Convention Center-114 Michael Nutter Theater. If  you are not attending the Expo, you can view it here.

September Coalition Meeting Addresses the Future of School Wellness

Left to right: Kelly Moltzen from Bronx Health REACH; Laura Raaen from Teachers College, Columbia University; Nicholas Buess from the Food Bank For NYC; Arlen Zamula from the NYC Dept of Health & Mental Hygiene – Harlem Neighborhood Health Action Center; Alice Goodman from the NYC Department of Education – Office of School Wellness; Emma Murat of the Office of School Wellness; Karyn Kirschbaum from Western Suffolk BOCES and Moria Byrne-Zaaloff from Bronx Health REACH.


 The Bronx Health REACH  (BHR) Coalition made School Wellness their  priority in September. At our September coalition meeting, which, interestingly fell on the second day of the new school year, the meeting agenda focused on the status of state and federal programs supporting child nutrition and wellness and how to collectively advocate for continued funding and support for all New York State students. Putting the state of NYC wellness in context, Emma Murat of the Office of School Wellness gave an overview of NYC Department of Education’s wellness programming, specifically their multi-year physical and health education pilot programs.

Bronx Health REACH's Kelly Moltzen and Moria Byrne-Zaaloff highlighted BHR’s significant contributions to Bronx County schools over the past four years by providing technical assistance and professional development training to 70 schools and evaluation and resources to 73 schools of our over 90 partner schools to increase nutrition education and physical activity. On a city-wide level, Creating Healthy Schools and Communities funding allowed BHR to work with the NYC Department of Education to update its school wellness policy to meet federal policy standards.

Lining up federal and city wellness policies led the way to passing laws that support school wellness such as free lunch for all 1.1 million City public-school students in the five boroughs through the Lunch4learning  campaign. It also resulted in the PEWorks program providing funding for professional development training and the hiring of more PE teachers for NYC public schools through the PhysEd4All Campaign – two initiatives that Bronx Health REACH actively supported.

A panel of experts shared how wellness programming has made school environments healthier in NYC and across the state. The panel included: New York State Assemblyman Michael Benedetto; Nicholas Buess from the Food Bank For NYC; Alice Goodman from the NYC Department of Education – Office of School Wellness; Karyn Kirschbaum from Western Suffolk BOCES; Laura Raaen from Teachers College, Columbia University; and Arlen Zamula from the NYC Dept of Health & Mental Hygiene – Harlem Neighborhood Health Action Center.

New York State Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, Chairman of the Education Committee, spoke at Bronx Health REACH's September 6th Coalition meeting.

As Chairman of the Education Committee, Assemblyman Benedetto spoke of his commitment to ensuring that school wellness programming continue at current funding levels in New York State. As a steadfast champion for school wellness, he introduced Assembly Bill A7607. The bill would direct the Commissioner of Education to establish a New York state model wellness policy. This model policy would provide NYC and other school districts in the state with the state oversight and support necessary to effectively implement their district policies, hold districts accountable for tracking school building-level results and provide measurable data across the state. The Assemblyman recommitted to helping BHR ensure school wellness continues in the Bronx and across the state and agreed to meet with BHR and the WELL campaign committee to continue this conversation.

We encourage you to sign the petition to obtain state funding for a new version of the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities program (2020-2025)  directed by the NYS Department of Health.

Assembly Bill 7607 and other New York State bills can only achieve so much without the federal law it is built on, namely the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, which covers feeding programs for youth such as free breakfast and lunch in schools, afterschool snacks, summer meals, WIC and food pantries. The Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act is the glue that makes many of the nutrition education and feeding programs that NYS and NYC offers, possible.

During the panel discussion, Nick Buess discussed the importance of passing a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act to ensure all schools can serve healthy, locally grown food that is made from scratch and provide comprehensive nutrition education courses. Coalition members were also asked to sign the online petition in support of the NYC Alliance for Child Nutrition Reauthorization (NYC4CNR) in order to improve and strengthen federal child nutrition and school meal programs.

CMSP 327 Students Illustrate How to Win Against Competitive Foods

Fifteen students from Comprehensive Model School Project-M.S. 327 participated in a five week course with Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) this summer sponsored by Bronx Health REACH. Susanna Arellano, a teaching artist at CUP, led students through an exploration of the power structures and systems within the NYC Department of Education and an individual school building that impact nutrition and wellness in NYC schools. The students illustrated the main themes of each lesson using art techniques such as print making, photography and infographics. Their art was used to create an educational booklet on how students can make healthy snack choices in schools.

They created a 16 page booklet, Snack Attack, How Can Students Make Healthy Snack Choices in Schools? The information in the booklet was informed by student research. Students took surveys of fellow students and community members to better understand what they consider to be healthy versus unhealthy foods, and which snack options should be available at school. They also photographed paper cut-outs of healthy food pasted onto bodega shelves next to junk food, showing what a healthy bodega would look like.

Students interviewed Stephen O'Brien, Director of the Office of School Food and Nutrition Services, Department of Education and Kelly Moltzen, Program Manager of the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities Program at Bronx Health REACH to gain insight into where the food that is sold in schools comes from, how much does the food change between the farm and the student consumer, and who decides what foods get sold in schools.

“I would make sure that there are no copycat snacks [in schools]," said student Nikosi Whyte. "I would make the food healthier and unprocessed.” 

The booklet will be distributed to community schools in the South Bronx to promote healthy snacking in schools.

Year Two of Service Begins With A Summer Harvest and Cafeteria Improvement Plans

Adrianna gave a presentation at the FoodCorps National Orientation in Portland, Oregon. 

This post is written by Adriana Perez, our FoodCorps member who partners with the Sheridan Academy for Young Leaders (PS457)/the Family School (PS443). Adriana is dedicating a second year of service to engaging students and teachers in creating a school wide culture of health through experiential learning in their school garden, cafeteria and classroom. 


I recently returned from FoodCorp’s National Orientation in Portland, Oregon, where I was able to take a deep dive into planning for my second year of service at the Sheridan Academy for Young Leaders (PS457)/The Family School (PS443) in the Bronx.

During the week-long orientation, I brainstormed with FoodCorps staff and Service Members from across the country, led a session on how to overcome challenging work relationships, renewed my energy and ambitions for the coming school year through project management workshops, and formed a new appreciation for all the work that I accomplished last year.

 This year, I will not only be working at the two schools, but I will be returning to school myself. I will be entering a Master’s program at New York University in Food Studies with a concentration in Food Policy and Advocacy. My courses will help me expand my knowledge on food system issues, increase my understanding of how food and cultures intersect and how to effectively advocate for food system change. My FoodCorps experience at PS457 and PS443 last year has deepened and solidified my belief that not only should healthy, sustainable food be available to every community, but that every community should have the opportunity to learn more about where food comes from, how to prepare it, and how to have a balanced relationship with food. Through my studies at NYU, I will have the knowledge to educate my school community in local food systems and policy, and train them to be school wellness champions.


This year, I have decided to focus on three areas of technical assistance:  garden program development, cafeteria renovation and professional development for teachers. Last year, I worked with the Wellness Council, students and teachers at PS457 and PS443 to rebuild the schools’ garden spaces. I learned how to navigate scheduling conflicts for garden classes and garden management support from students, staff and parents. This year, teachers will be able to schedule their classes on a regular basis to visit the gardens. Garden clubs can help plant, maintain and harvest gardens on their own school properties as well as the community garden, a garden managed by both schools. Once the vegetables and herbs are ready to harvest, parents will be able to pick up or harvest vegetables during dismissal.

Since summer harvesting was so successful at PS443/PS457, Adriana invited parents to pick up seasonal produce at dismissal during the first week of school. What a healthy way to start the new school year!


As my primary responsibility is to work at PS 457, the teachers will not only receive teaching assistance during classes in the garden, but I will also provide support in creating lessons and strategies so that food education can be incorporated into common core standards for every grade. My objective is to equip teachers with tools that will encourage healthy eating for their students while introducing new subject-specific concepts and reinforcing previous lessons.

Finally, my biggest ambition for the year is to work with the Wellness Councils, which now exist as two separate councils, to undertake cafeteria improvements. These changes can be as simple as streamlining the traffic flow on the lunch line or as complex as providing a public announcement system or purchasing new tables for the cafeteria. The Wellness Councils will help me create excitement and strengthen support and engagement from the administration and cafeteria staff as well as aides and parent volunteers managing students during lunch. My hope is that through these changes, all students will be able to have a more enjoyable cafeteria experience through creating excitement around the school food menu in school and greater efficiency in the cafeteria.

This year will be challenging, but I plan to rise to the occasion and hit the ground running with these goals clearly set out before me. I look forward to working with the teachers, meeting new staff, and collaborating more closely with the principles of PS457 and PS443, Ms. Febus and Ms. Penn.

Bronx Residents Get Boogie’ing at 6th Annual Boogie on the Boulevard

This post was written by Rachel Ingram, Nutrition and Physical Activity Program Manager at Bronx Health REACH.

On Sunday, September 15th from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., the middle lanes of the Grand Concourse from 162nd to 170th Street were closed to cars and open to a world of fun and free music, dance, fitness, art, fresh food samplings and more! Boogie on the Boulevard “Boogie,” a NYC Department of Transportation Weekend Walks program, is a one-of-a-kind community event that reimagines the streets as a public space where the many diverse cultures represented in the Bronx can be active and celebrate.

This year at Boogie, nearly 5,000 Bronx residents enjoyed a one-mile stretch of interactive healthy living activities based on themes such as Arts, #Not 62, Fresh and Healthy Eating, Back to School, Fitness and Wellness, Dance, Active Transportation, Baby Oasis, and Street Games. “Every year we get together as community residents, local community-based organizations, healthcare partners, transportation advocates, and we celebrate who we are as the Bronx,” said Bronx Council Member Vanessa L. Gibson, a long-time supporter of Boogie on the Boulevard. “We recognize health and wellness and achieving a healthier, brighter, and stronger borough.”

Participants engaged in fitness and wellness activities such as Hoola Hoop classes, Zumba dancing, Kickboxing, Hip Hop Fitness, and various obstacle courses. Over seventy Bronx Runners showed up to participate in a 5K timed run along the Grand Concourse. To celebrate, runners received refreshments and sunglasses with the “Boogie” logo on them. Tai Chi, guided meditation, medical massages, and yoga for adults and kids were available to those looking for a mind and body experience.

Local food vendors and organizations prepared fresh and healthy snacks and gave out samples like hummus with pita bread, shredded carrot salad, apples with sunflower butter, lightly sweetened chocolate covered nuts made by Sustainable Snacks and other goodies for participants to taste on the Fresh Food Block. The “Don’t Stress, Eat Fresh” Games Challenge, hosted by the Institute for Family Health’s Bronx Health REACH, provided a fun way to highlight all of the healthy options that are offered at partner Bronx bodegas participating in the Healthy Bodega program. Participants refreshed themselves with fruit infused water- the perfect alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages.

 

On the Arts Block, families took part in the creative process together. Community artists worked with community members to guide them through various arts and crafts projects like button making, card making, live painting, printmaking, and ceramics. At one point during the day, a large audience gathered around some of the local artists as they took part in painting live action pictures of Boogie on the Boulevard. Participants walked away with beautiful sand-art necklaces, drawings, paintings, and handmade cards.

People-powered vehicles was the theme of the Active Transportation Block. Participants learned how to roller skate, skateboard, and enjoyed free bike rides. Many, and took advantage of free bike parking and bike repairs. The big hit of the day were the adaptive bicycles used for mobility, therapy, and recreation. Everyone loved learning about the freedom that these bikes provide for individuals who otherwise would not be able to ride. They liked trying them out too! 

The Boogie Down block featured Bronx-based music and performances, salsa dancing, hip-hop, and music creation workshops for participants to dance and get moving. There was also silent disco for those thatwho wanted to “boogie” in a unique way! A regular at previous Boogie on the Boulevard events- BombaYo- engaged community members in drum circles to raise awareness of Afro Puerto Rican culture and to connect Bomba to the vast traditions of the African Diaspora.

There were no shortage of activities for folks with infants and children! Those with babies visited the Baby Oasis Block for all their parenting needs including breast-feeding tents, parent resources, and for some, mommy and me yoga. The big kids got to enjoy face painting, balloon making, a bouncy house, Euro Bungee jumping, obstacles courses, back to school giveaways, and streets games galore!

For the civic-minded Bronxites, the #Not62 Block showcased efforts to lift up the Bronx from its ranking as the least healthy county in all of New York State. On this block, people were involved in activities for the whole self - social, emotional, psychological, and physical. They also had the opportunity to help improve the health of the Bronx by signing up to join the #Not62 campaign.

 

Undoubtedly, Boogie on the Boulevard was a huge success! As one participant said, “This is a great event to get families and kids out, to get them active in arts, nutrition, the culture of the Bronx and being from the Bronx.” The 2019 Boogie on the Boulevard was made possible by NYC Department of Transportation Weekend Walks program and the Boogie on the Boulevard -Steering Committee comprised of the Institute for Family Health/Bronx Health REACH, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, BronxWorks, Montefiore Medical Center, and Uptown Boogie & Bicycle Advocacy in partnership with a volunteer committee of Bronx residents. Thank you to our sponsors Amida Care, SBH Health System, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx Museum, the Institute for Family Health/Bronx Health REACH, Health First, New Settlement Apartments, and Union Community Health Center.

Don't Stress, Eat Fresh Healthy Bodega Campaign was at Boogie on the Boulevard

Participants exercising with low sodium bean cans purchased from a local partner bodega. 

On Sunday, September 15th, the center lanes of the Grand Concourse, from 162nd Street to 170th Streets were closed to vehicles and open to a world of fun for the 6th Annual Boogie on the Boulevard. The Institute for Family Health/Bronx Health REACH was one of the sponsors of the event that featured music, art, dance, fitness programs and healthy food samples for Bronx residents to enjoy.

Bronx Health REACH showcased the Don't Stress, Eat Fresh Healthy Bodega campaign as part of its Healthy Bodega block. There were delicious healthy food samples from Sustainable Snacks, Cabot Cheese and partner bodega Aqui me Quedo. The Healthy Beverage Zone distributed fruit infused water. Partners in the Fresch Grab & Go! Bodega initiative offered healthy food samples.

One mom pointing to the Rethink Your Drink! display with the large, sugar filled bag beneath the Arizona Iced Tea can, warned her son that if he continues to drink it everyday, he will suffer from diabetes and other health complications as he gets older.

In addition to all the food sampling, there was the Healthy Bodega challenge games led by  Maurelhena Walles and Talik Norman of Equity Design. Participants had fun using cans of low sodium beans as weights to exercise. There was also a relay race to gather as many healthy food items as you would find in a bodega.  To cap off all the activities at the Healthy Bodega Block there was a raffle and four lucky winners each received a Healthy Bodega Bag stocked with all kinds of goodies. Fun was had by all.

11 Faith Based Organizations Participated in Healthy Children, Healthy Families Program

Leaders from 11 faith based organizations attended an orientation for the Healthy Children, Healthy Families program.

On September 9th, Bronx Health REACH held an orientation on the Healthy Children, Healthy Families program for 28 leaders representing 11 faith based organizations. The eight week program for children (ages 8-12) and their parents/caregivers seeks to increase healthy eating and active living and reduce high rates of obesity in the Bronx. The orientation included an overview of the program structure, reviewed key nutrition concepts featured in each of the eight-week sessions and, best practices for teaching the curriculum.

This orientation was the first of a series of trainings on how to run the program led by Bronx Health REACH long-time nutrition consultant, Loyce Godfrey. The 11 faith based organizations currently participating are the final wave of churches in the program as the funding provided by the Office of Minority Health ends in 2020.

Participating faith based organizations include: Iglesia Cristiana De La Comunidad, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Misión Pentecostal Rehoboth/Water of Life Church, Creston Avenue Baptist Church, King of Glory Tabernacle, Temple of the Living God, Seventh Day Adventist Grand Concourse, Fellowship Baptist Church, Williams Institutional CME Church and Pentecostal Church of Washington Heights, and Masjid Rahmah.