ProMedica, a non-profit healthcare provider has partnered with Philanthropist Russell Ebeid to address poverty and other social issues in Toledo, Ohio. To accomplish this, Ebeid has generously funded the ProMedica Ebeid Institute for Population Health. In Ohio, more than 1 in 4 children live in food insecure households and in Toledo Public Schools, the number of children eligible for free and reduced breakfast and lunch is nearly 80% with some schools as high as 98%, according to the ProMedica press release. With the approval of Toledo City Council, the first initiative of the Ebeid Institute will be working to establish a full-service market and community hub in central Toledo. They picked this area because of the lack of grocery stores nearby, hoping the market would bring ...
Youth in Fresno County are on a mission to educate their communities about access to healthy foods and drinks and safe places for activity. They've been working with a regional program to learn about healthy living and the built environment and will share their findings at two events open to the public. On September 16th, 2014, youths from the Sanger Boys and Girls Club held a Photovoice exhibition at the Sanger Community Center with posters displaying their findings. On Sept. 24, students from Reedley High School will hold a similar exhibition from 4:30-8 p.m. at the high school. Featured in these exhibits are photos the youth took in their communities to illustrate healthy environments and to show where barriers remain to good health, said Jesse Tedrick of the Central ...
As more and more research comes out about the potential dangers of youth consumption of energy drinks, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez hopes congress will take action to ensure youth participating in athletics consume these beverages safely and appropriately. His bill, S.B. 2718, includes a call for government guidelines on the use of energy drinks in youth athletics. Section 6 of the bill calls on the Secretary of Health and Human Services to work through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs in collaboration with Federal agencies to craft guidelines. Citing the need to "promote youth athletic safety," Menendez hopes the agencies will develop information about the ingredients used in energy drinks and potential side effects of energy drink consumption and recommend guidelines for the safe ...
In Saint Paul, like in most cities across the U.S., many folks struggle to access healthy, affordable foods regularly. Seeing this in his neighborhood, artist and social justice advocate Seitu Jones wanted to begin a conversation about ways to ensure that all residents of Saint Paul get the nourishing food they need. In 2013, Jones launched CREATE, a community gathering designed to ignite conversations about food, food access and food justice in the inner city. Create embarked on a year-long listening tour that engaged Saint Paul residents in conversations about food traditions, attitudes, rituals and access. On Sunday September 14, 2014, CREATE invited the whole city to dinner for Create: The Community Meal. This celebration, which featured a half-mile long table running down ...
For many Hispanics in Los Angeles, getting access to fresh, affordable foods is tough---a lot tougher than simply stopping at a local corner store and loading-up on chips and soda. Fortunately, the Los Angeles Food Policy Council has been an active force in bringing healthy, affordable food to the L.A. area for years. One of the council's projects, the Healthy Neighborhood Market Network, builds the capacity of small ‘mom n’ pop’ store owners in ‘food desert’ communities to thrive as good food businesses and civic leaders through ongoing, multi-lingual business and leadership development trainings, mentorship and consulting. One recent success has brought fresh fruits and veggies into an unlikely place----a liquor store. Century Liquor in South LA installed a fruit ...
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides more than 8 million low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children with monthly nutritious foods, nutrition education, and increased access to health care. 41% of WIC participants are Latinos. The WIC food packages were revised in 2007 to align the authorized food with the latest nutrition science and guidance, and the revisions were viewed positively by a majority of participants. As seen in this report, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests the revised WIC food packages have favorable impacts on dietary intake, breastfeeding outcomes, and obesity rates. In addition, emerging studies suggest an important role for WIC in improving neighborhood food ...
The area along Murchison Road in Fayetteville, North Carolina hasn't seen a full-service grocery store in years, leaving folks who live and work in the area little options for fresh fruits and vegetables. But city officials are taking notice and plans are in the works to get healthy and affordable food options into the community. According to an article in the Fayetteville Observer, City officials say a Walmart with a full-service grocery store is planned to fill an empty spot in a strip center where a Winn-Dixie operated more than 20 years ago. The Walmart Market is expected to be 41,000 square feet and will include gas pumps. No construction date is set at the moment, but according to the article the Walmart will employ more than 90 people when ...
Cities and states across the country are increasingly turning to financial incentives to bring healthy food access closer to home. One popular policy option is offering tax credits for folks who turn vacant lots into urban gardens that grow healthy fruits and vegetables for the neighborhood. In Maryland, counties and the city of Baltimore may now offer tax credits for land used exclusively for farming and Baltimore officials have drafted a bill to take advantage of the state law. The bill offers tax credits to land owners who commit to using their land for growing and selling fresh produce. Read more about tax breaks for urban agriculture in this comprehensive NPR ...
A number of authoritative public health, policy, and advocacy groups are encouraging Americans to drink more water. Some health advocates believe lowering the price of water might encourage folks to drink more water and less unhealthy sugary drinks. This fact sheet presents the latest data on state sales taxes applied to bottled water. These data were compiled by The MayaTech Corporation for the Bridging the Gap research program. Check out the fact sheet here! ...
