Bronx Health REACH e-blast: April 18, 2011

National Health Equity Coalition and REACH Funding

The National Health Equity Coalition is asking as many people as possible to sign and return a postcard to show support for reinstating funding for REACH that was cut out of President Obama’s 2012 budget.  The postcard is available in English and Spanish on the website: http://www.nationalhealthequitycoalition.org/

Farm Shares / CSAs

Farm-shares, or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, give communities direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown by local farmers.  There are several farm share programs serving the South Bronx and Harlem communities:

·         The NYC Coalition Against Hunger, one of the Bronx Health REACH Legacy Grantees, is starting a Bronx CSA farm share distribution site at Grand Concourse Seventh Day Adventist Temple (1275 Grand Concourse at the corner of 169th) in the Bronx. The pick-up will be on Tuesdays from 5:00pm-7:30pm. The produce, which comes from Fresh Radish Farms in Goshen, NY, is delivered every Tuesday for 22 weeks from June to November.  Shares are available for all income levels, and food stamps (EBT) are accepted. Flyers in English and Spanish are available here. The deadline to purchase shares is May 15.  For more information and to sign up, email bronxcsanyc@gmail.com, visit http://www.bronxcsa.wordpress.com/, or call 212-825-0028 x205.

·         The South Bronx CSA provides affordable access to healthy food while empowering immigrant communities.  The distribution site is located at Brook Park, a community garden on East 141 Street and Brook Avenue. The pick-up time will be every Wednesday from 3pm to 8pm from June to October. The fresh, organic produce comes from Sergio Nolasco Farms in Sussex County, NJ. Sliding scale prices and EBT (food stamps) welcome. Register today! For more information, visit www.southbronxcsa.org , email southbronxcsa@friendsofbrookpark.org, or call 347-331-0096.

·         Corbin Hill Road Farm has multiple distribution sites throughout the South Bronx and Upper Manhattan.  The program offers membership for families as well as wholesale distribution for organizations. The model allows members to pay week to week instead of the traditional model of paying at the beginning of the season. Food stamps (EBT) are accepted.  More information is available on the website (www.corbinhillfarm.com) in both English and Spanish. 

Bronx Health REACH Nutrition & Fitness Committee Meeting – April 21, 2011

At our last Nutrition & Fitness Committee meeting, we formed three policy working groups—one each for tobacco, nutrition and physical activity. At our next meeting on April 21, we will discuss the findings from our School Health Index assessments, present the results of a Bronx obesity prevention synergy and strategy meeting organized by the Strategic Alliance for Health, and discuss our forward-looking policy strategy. There will also be a presentation about WE ACT for Environmental Justice’s food justice initiative.

Date: Thursday, April 21

Time: 10 am to 12 noon

Location: Morrisania Diagnostic and Treatment Center, 1225 Gerard Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452, in the Day Room on the Second Floor.

SAfH Excellence in School Wellness Award – Due May 6, 2011

Elementary schools in the Bronx, Northern Manhattan, and North and Central Brooklyn are invited to apply for SAfH’s Excellence in School Wellness Award.  The purpose of this award is to recognize schools creating a culture of wellness within the school.  Applications are due May 6, 2011.  More information including the official flyer, the complete award application, a list of 2010 winning schools, and news articles from last year’s ceremony can be found at the following link:  http://www.nycsafh.org/news/outreach-portfolio-safh-excellence-school-wellness-award. For any questions, please contact info@nycsafh.org.

Adopt a Bodega – May 11^th & 25^th, 2011

Learn how to…Adopt-A-Bodega!  Participate in this 2 part training and walk away with the tools to successfully demand healthier food options at your local corner store!

Our neighborhoods are full of life and wonderful cultural resources.  However, many of our neighborhoods lack access to adequate, affordable, and quality healthy foods while having great access to unhealthy, high caloric, and fattening foods.  Bodegas are less likely to carry healthy foods and more likely to carry unhealthy foods than supermarkets.  Additionally, supermarkets typically offer more healthy choices but are less common and accessible in areas such as Harlem and the Bronx.  However, as a community, we CAN demand certain items to be sold in the bodegas and we CAN change our food environment!

During the 2 part workshop, we will:

•         Provide an overview of food access issues in NYC

•         Discuss and brainstorm strategies for approaching and building relationships with store owners

•         Offer suggestions on how to identify the bodega that your organization will adopt

•         Decide what healthier options your organization would like the adopted store to stock

•         Debrief on your first efforts to talk to your local bodega owner about carrying healthier foods

Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 AND Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Time: 3-5pm

Location: East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence, Training Room 1, 161-169 E. 110st between Lexington and 3rd Avenue, NY, NY 10029

RSVP by: Wednesday, May 4, 2011 to Dugeidy Ortiz at dortiz2@health.nyc.gov or (646) 672-2410. (please indicate number of attendees and organization)

*Please note this is a 2-part training.  If you RSVP, you are committing to attend both trainings.

NYC Green Cart Cookbook

Green Carts are located in designated neighborhoods throughout the City as part of an effort to increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in communities where access is limited. The NYC Green Cart Cookbook, a collection of 26 recipes inspired by the fruits and vegetables sold at NYC Green Carts, features contributions from famous NYC chefs, elected officials, community groups and Green Cart vendors. This Spring, 10,000 free cookbooks will be given away at NYC Green Carts and health-focused institutions across the City in an effort to promote healthy eating in New York neighborhoods. Click here to download a free copy.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Childhood Obesity Webinars

Please join The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity for the webinar series, "Hand in Hand, Together We Can: Working with Communities to Improve America's Health." Webinars will be held every other week on Thursdays at 2 p.m. Eastern. Webinar topics include: Farm Bill 101, and Portraits of Success: The Farm Bill in Action. Register for upcoming webinars at:
http://www.reversechildhoodobesity.org/content/hand-hand-together-we-can-working-community-make-federal-and-local-change

Cancelled: Stellar Farmers Markets winter program

The DOH’s Stellar Farmers Markets’ winter program, announced in the previous e-blast, has been cancelled due to budget cuts.  However, the Stellar Farmers Markets workshops, which include nutrition education lessons and cooking demonstrations, will resume in the summer at markets all over the Bronx.  Free HealthBucks will be distributed at the workshops for people to spend at farmers markets.  For more information about the Stellar Farmers Markets program, contact Kate Gardner at kgardner@health.nyc.gov.

Weight Watchers – discount for South Bronx residents

Weight Watchers is offering a special opportunity for community residents in the South Bronx to join at a discount. Weight Watchers is offering their national program at a reduced rate of $2.50 per meeting (75% off their regular meeting price) to individuals that live in the South Bronx. The meetings take place every Saturday at 10 AM at Immaculate Conception Church on 150^th Street and Melrose Avenue for the next 10 weeks.  Please share this healthy weight loss program information with your clients!

All interested individuals should contact Rosanna Campitiello at rcampitiello@cityharvest.org or 917-351-8726 to register in advance of attending a meeting. Meetings have already started but participants can join any week and will be brought up to speed!

Run for Something Better Program 

Global financial institution ING and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) have partnered to promote the ING Run for Something Better School Awards Program. Funding will be given to schools that desire to establish a school-based running program or expand an existing one, in an effort to help fight childhood obesity and introduce youth to the benefits of running.  A minimum of 50 grants will be awarded to selected applicants for $2,500 each. Eligible applicants include school programs that target grades Kindergarten through 8th grade in public elementary or middle schools.

Deadline: May 1, 2011

Contact NASPE directly for more information and to apply for this funding:  http://naspe.confex.com/naspe/2011/cfp.cgi

Mentoring Opportunity: Tech Wizards

Cornell University Cooperative Extension-NYC, in collaboration with the National 4-H and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, will be running a mentoring program, entitled Tech Wizards, which will utilize GPS/GIS technology to engage youth and address issues in their communities.  They are currently recruiting mentors (unpaid) to volunteer to work with a group of 4 students (collectively) once a week in two-hour sessions from late April 2011-January 2012.  Mentors that work during this period will have the opportunity to choose between working with young people from Brooklyn (Crown Heights), Queens (Jamaica) and the Bronx (Mott Haven).  Prior knowledge of GPS/GIS technology is not required, as mentors will be provided with training in both mentoring and GPS technology.  If you or someone you know would like to seize upon this opportunity to positively impact the lives of several NYC youth in the 4-H Tech Wizards Program, please contact Michele Luc at 212-340-2970 or via e-mail at ML782@cornell.edu.

April is National Minority Health Month

A recent study published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which ranks the health of counties across the US on a state-by-state basis, shows the Bronx ranking dead last out of New York State’s 62 counties. Brooklyn (Kings County) didn’t fare much better, ranking 58 out of the 62.  Both boroughs have large numbers of immigrants and people living in communities of color.  Now is the time for New York to start paying attention to health disparities. http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=3&lvlID=536 


HHS Announces Plan to Reduce Health Disparities
On Friday, April 8, HHS unveiled its roadmap for reducing health and health care disparities, a comprehensive effort to address differences in health for racial, ethnic, and other underserved communities, and the National Partnership for Action's National Stakeholder Strategy. For information, email info@minorityhealth.hhs.gov or call 1-800-444-6472.

Consumer Reports – Obtaining Benefits Under the New Healthcare Bill

To mark the one-year anniversary of the health care bill, Consumer Reports compiled a report on how to obtain benefits under the new bill.  You can access the report here.

“Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners” Course - April 26-27, 2011

Cornell University Cooperative Extension-NYC’s Urban Environment Program will be holding an “Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners” course.  If you visit homes to provide health or inspection services of any type, you will benefit from the Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners Course.  The training will help you understand the connection between health and housing and how to take a holistic approach to identify and resolve problems, which threaten the health and well-being of residents.  The training complements hazard-specific training and identifies root causes of health problems in the home. Course participants will have a better understanding of how to collaborate to make healthy homes a reality in their community.  To learn more, please visit the National Healthy Homes Training Center and Network website:  http://www.healthyhomestraining.org/

Date:       April 26-27, 2011
Time:       8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Location:  Cornell Extension-NYC’s Bronx Office
432 E. 149th Street, the Bronx (#2 or 5 train to 3rd Ave-149th St stop)
Cost:  $220.  The Healthy Homes Specialist Credential exam will be offered at the end of day two for an additional fee.

IOBY Funding Support

Do you have a great idea for your neighborhood?  IOBY (“In Our BackYard”) supports small, grassroots efforts that benefit our communities in NYC and the local environment. If you have a great idea for a local environmental project, apply to have it posted on ioby.org to find donations or volunteers!  Eligible projects will be accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, visit http://ioby.org/, or contact Helen Ho at Helen@ioby.org or 917-464-4515.

Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC) Small Grants and Technical Assistance Program

CTAC makes available small grants and technical assistance to build the capacity, sustainability, and impact of non-profit organizations that are engaged in important community organizing in low-income neighborhoods or for low-income constituencies. CTAC will award a total of 6-8 small grants (maximum $20,000). Groups must have a community organizing focus and demonstrate a track-record of successful community organizing within their low income community. For the purpose of this program, community organizing is broadly defined as the process of building a powerful, community-controlled, democratically run, inclusive, grassroots organization capable of developing leaders and effecting social change for its constituent members.

Deadline: May 26, 2011. For more information, visit http://www.ctacusa.com/smallgrants.html