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.

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.

Bronx Health REACH Health Disparities Workgroup Holds Not62 Rally

More than 60 Bronx Health REACH Coalition members and community residents attended the Not62 Rally on October 29 on the steps of the Bronx Supreme Court.

Chanting "62 Will Not Do! We Can Do Better, We MUST Do Better!" over 60 Bronx Health REACH Coalition members and community residents participated in a  Not62 Rally on October 29. The rally took place on the steps of the Bronx Supreme Court to bring attention to the Bronx being ranked 62 out of New York State’s 62 counties in health over the past 9 years in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Ranking Report. Led by Bronx Health REACH's Charmaine Ruddock, the rally called on the Mayor, the Governor and all elected leaders to make the health of the Bronx a priority.

Speakers included: Rev. Theresa Oliver from Mt. Zion CME Church, Maxine Golub from the Institute for Family Health,  NYC Council Member Fernando Cabrera, Pastor Robert Foley, Sr. from Cosmopolitan Church of the Lord Jesus, Amril Hamer from Transportation Alternatives, Felix Rojas from Holy Spirit Church, Brett Scudder from the Suicide Institute, Rev. McKay from Church of God of Prophecy, and Karines Reyes from the New York State Nurses Association/Campaign for New York Health. Postcards were distributed to those attending the rally to collect signatures that  will be delivered to the offices of the Mayor and the Governor in the upcoming weeks.

News12 The Bronx covered the event and you can view it here.

The Bronx Salad at Bronx Day in Albany

Bronx Health REACH partner Henry Obispo of United Business Cooperative promoting The Bronx Salad at Bronx Day in Albany.

Bronx Health REACH's Kelly Moltzen and Henry Obispo from United Business Cooperative, a partner in the Healthy Restaurant Initiative attended and promoted The Bronx Salad at Bronx Day in Albany on June 12th. Expo participants had an opportunity to taste The Bronx Salad, which was well received. The event to showcase the products and services of Bronx businesses and organizations was organized by New York State Assemblymember Michael Benedetto. Assemblymembers Victor M. Pichardo, Marcos Crespo, Andrew Hevesi, Senator Jose E. Serrano, and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. spoke at the event.

Bronx Health REACH believes Bronx restaurants would be better equipped to serve The Bronx Salad if partner restaurants were supported as business owners through strategies developed by United Business Cooperative. Bronx Health REACH will continue working with United Business Cooperative and Bronx legislators to try to increase the capacity of Bronx food businesses to source healthy ingredients such as those used to make The Bronx Salad.

El Diario Features Healthy Bodegas

Photo: Gerard Romo/El Diario

Hylonkys LaChapelle, owner of Gerard Minimarket is participating in the Healthy Bodega Initiative.

The January 30, 2016 issue of El Diario featured an article about the Healthy Bodega Initiative, a partnership between Bronx Health REACH, The Bodega Association of the United States (ASOBEU), and the Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Inc. (HITN). The article featured the owner of Gerard Minimarket, a bodega that participated in the August training, and featured conversations with  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., ASOBEU President Ramon Murphy, and Bronx Health REACH Director Charmaine Ruddock.

Hylonkys LaChapelle, the owner of Gerard Minimarket located at 740 Gerard Avenue, Bronx, New York spoke of making changes to her bodega after attending the August training. She described re-arranging and moving the best looking apples and bananas to more prominent areas of shelf space.  The result is shoppers purchasing more fruits. “Now, two boxes of bananas (approximately 30 pounds of product) is sold in a matter of a day,” said LaChapelle.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. spoke about the #Not62 campaign (the Bronx is ranked as the least healthy of 62 of 62 counties in New York State) and how those healthy bodegas that participated in the August Healthy Bodega Training will now be a “part of the solution offering healthy alternatives to their customers.”

Charmaine Ruddock, Director of Bronx Health REACH provided background on how the training program emphasizes the importance of including healthy alternatives at the deli counter such as low fat cheese and low fat mayonnaise in sandwiches, and water offered rather than soda.

You can read the full article here.

The next two- day Healthy Bodega Training will be held on March 8th and March 9th from 5 to 9:30 p.m. If you know a bodega in your community that would benefit from this training, please contact Zulay at the Bodega Association at (212) 928-0252.

Success Story: Lucero Elementary School Hosts Second Annual Family Fitness Night

On the evening of May 21^st, Lucero Elementary School in the Bronx held its second Family Fitness Night since the school opened in 2013. The event featured physical activity stations, a nutrition education workshop led by Corbin Hill and New Settlement Apartments, tastings from the SchoolFood Alternative Menu facilitated by George Edwards of Garden to Café, and a variety of healthy food samples for students and their families.

The event was organized by Lucero’s School Wellness Council, spearheaded by Ms. Muia, the PE teacher. The school has won Gold for the Excellence in School Wellness Award for the past two years, and this year Ms. Muia was recognized as runner up for School Wellness Champion of the Year. She was also chosen to participate in the NYC Department of Education’s new PE Focus Grant, an opportunity for select PE teachers to participate in professional development and promote best practices for physical education among other schools in their district.

Family Fitness Night was the culminating event of Fitness Week—a school-wide effort to promote physical activity among the student body. Each day of the week fostered awareness around a different activity, such as Move Around Monday and Touch Your Toes Tuesday. Regular announcements made over the intercom reminded students to get up and stay active throughout the school day. Since regular physical activity is linked with improved academic performance in addition to better health outcomes, we hope other schools will follow Lucero’s lead in providing more opportunities for students to be physically active.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR HEALTHY EATING

The Jungle Effect by Daphne Miller, MD

Go Green East Harlem Cookbook