Bronx Health REACH Welcomes Our New FoodCorps Member

We welcome Adriana Perez, our new FoodCorps member who began her service in September at PS443 & PS457. Adriana will dedicate a 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. She will also support the healthy snack policy implementation and spearhead PS443's garden renovation.

Adriana’s passion for all things food originated in the kitchen when she helped her mom bake for family events. Adriana graduated from Johnson & Wales University and was a pastry chef at Walt Disney World. She was drawn to the farmers' market circuit, renewing her belief that healthy and sustainable food should be available to all communities. She welcomes opportunities for all to learn about the sources of their food.

Bronx Health REACH and Our Elected Officials

In September members of the Bronx Health REACH Coalition met and spoke with Dr. Herminia Palacio, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services.

On September 12th several Bronx Health REACH Coalition members met with Dr. Herminia Palacio, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services to discuss the Coalition’s work and Not62 – The Campaign for a Healthy Bronx. Sandra Jenkins from Church of God of Prophecy, Deacon Dorothy Faison and Pastor Robert Foley, Sr. from Cosmopolitan Church, Flora Goldston from Walker Memorial Baptist Church along with Amril Hamer from Transportation Alternatives, and PS 218’s Tabitha Kellner and Nurse Echols all attended the meeting. The Coalition members highlighted the work they’re doing to improve the health of the South Bronx. They were emphatic in pointing to the importance of the Mayor prioritizing the borough in all the City's agencies and resource allocations.

Dr. Palacio, made note of the fact that she was well acquainted with the Bronx having been raised there and understood the concerns the group spotlighted. A follow-up meeting with Dr. Palacio is planned for later in the year as well as a meeting with the NYC Mayor in 2019.

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.

Emma Rodgers Speaks at Citywide High Blood Pressure Coalition Summit

Bronx Health REACH's Emma Rodgers speaking at the 2nd Annual Citywide High Blood Pressure Coalition Summit.

On October 10th, Bronx Health REACH's Emma Rodgers participated in a panel discussion at the 2nd Annual Citywide High Blood Pressure Coalition Summit hosted by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). Over 100 people attended the event, including representatives from health care organizations, community-based organizations, academic institutions, health insurers, city agencies and pharmacies. She discussed Bronx Health REACH’s food access and nutrition initiatives that address high blood pressure/hypertension and health disparities in the Bronx, including our Healthy Bodega Initiative, Faith-based Outreach Initiative, and the Vegetable and Fruit Prescription program. During the event, DOHMH launched the Inaugural Plan for "Take the Pressure Off, NYC!" whose goal is to reduce the number of New Yorkers with raised blood pressure by 150,000.

Bronx Health REACH Holds Faith Communities & Food Systems Conference

Panelists at the Faith Communities and Food Systems conference: (left to right) Dennis Derryck from Corbin Hill Food Project, Rev. Darriel Harris from the Black Church Food Security Network, Karen Washington from Rise & Root Farm, Nancy Ortiz-Surun and Demetrio Surun from La Finca del Sur.

On September 18th, Bronx Health REACH held a “Faith Communities and Food Systems” conference at Church of God of Prophecy. Fifty faith and community leaders and advocates gathered to discuss the role of faith communities in ensuring a healthier and more equitable food system for the Bronx. Participants included clergy, lay leaders, public health professionals, urban farmers, community gardeners, academic researchers, and other community members. Karen Washington from Rise & Root Farm and Rev. Darriel Harris from the Black Church Food Security Network and Baltimore Food & Faith Project were the main speakers. The conference highlighted the importance of urban agriculture and local farms (especially those run by farmers of color) for improving the health and self-sufficiency of Bronxites, and the role faith communities can play in helping create healthy food systems.

Conference attendees also discussed how elected officials and other policymakers need to recognize and remove the barriers that limit opportunities for growing, purchasing and selling fresh, healthy food in the Bronx. The importance of honoring the labor of farmers, gardeners, and other food related workers was a point that was stressed especially by Karen Washington. Attendees had an opportunity to watch a food demonstration by Tania Lopez, and brainstorm next steps that the health ministries of faith organizations could take regarding faith-based health education, improving access to locally grown food, and advocacy on food related policies.

Don't Stress, Eat Fresh Healthy Bodega Marketing Campaign Active in the Bronx

The next time you are walking in the Bronx, riding on an MTA bus in the Bronx, or driving behind one of those buses be sure to check out our Don't Stress, Eat Fresh Healthy Bodega marketing campaign promoting our fifteen partner bodegas and the healthy food they are selling. Ads in English and Spanish are on the inside and on the taillights of Bronx MTA buses. They are also on four bus shelters, two urban panels (signs aboveground at subway stations) and on LinkNYC kiosks. We are also using Geofencing as part of the marketing campaign.

How geofencing works:  If someone is walking within the range of one of our fifteen partner bodegas that has been set up for geofencing, he or she will receive an ad on their smartphone promoting the Healthy Bodega campaign. The ad appears on whatever app the person may be using at the time, or even appear later. With geofencing, the person does not necessarily have to be using their smartphone at the time when passing by the location set for geofencing. When the person clicks on the ad they are taken to a full listing of all the partner bodegas in the Healthy Bodega program listed by zip code so that they can choose a specific bodega to shop for healthy food.

If you see one of our advertisements, take a photo and post on social media with the hashtag #FreshBronxBodegas. The Don't Stress, Eat Fresh campaign runs through December.