Starting in the 2011-12 school year, schools participating in the federally-funded National School Lunch Program were required to provide students with access to free drinking water during school meals, in the location where meals are served. New research by Bridging the Gap describes how schools are meeting this requirement and provides insight about the cleanliness of drinking fountains. The report found that most participating schools met the water requirements, but that there is still work to be done to improve water quality and access. Check out the full research ...
Families living in South Los Angeles, the majority of which are Latino, now have a new neighborhood place to buy fresh, healthy food. A new full-service supermarket is now up and running in South Los Angeles, bringing fresh food and new jobs to the area. The new Northgate Gonzalez market took 15 years to develop and is anchored to the Juanita Tate Marketplace outdoor retail center.. California FreshWorks Fund awarded Northgate Gonzalez a $50,000 grant and $5.5 million loan to provide healthier options and more jobs for the community. The market will bring more than 100 new living wage jobs with benefits. FreshWorks is a key effort of The California Endowment’s Health Happens Here campaign, which seeks to promote healthy neighborhoods through increased access to fresh ...
Cherokee county, Georgia is home to a growing Latino population, many of which get the opportunity each year to participate in a fun, healthy eating battle. Put on by the G. Cecil Pruett YMCA in Canton, Georgia and Northside Hospital-Cherokee, Snack Wars is held on the Y’s annual Healthy Kids Day, which is an initiative to spread awareness on ways to prevent youth obesity. The Canton YMCA has been hosting a Healthy Kids Day event since 2006. Snack Wars, according to event officials, is a live, snack-making challenge in which six middle-school-age teams and two Youth Fit For Life elementary-school-age teams will transform everyday food items into healthy snacks Participants will be given a tub filled with mystery ingredients, and they will have 12 minutes to plan and ...
Springfield, MA is over 40% Latino, and many of these families live in areas without access to fresh, healthful, and affordable foods. The Mason Square neighborhood in Springfield is one of those areas. Since 2005 The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, the Mason Square Food Justice Initiative, and the Mason Square Health Task Force have been working with other community organizations to bring in a full-service grocery store into the neighborhood, one that would carry a large selection of fruits and vegetables, as well as fresh-baked goods, meats, fish and a deli. It’s part of the city’s master plan that includes the State Street Corridor Improvement Program and the 2012 Rebuild Springfield Plan, according to Jay Minkarah, President and CEO of DevelopSpringfield. He ...
More exciting new healthy living programs and policies are on their way to becoming realities in Southeast Raleigh. Grocers on Wheels is another one of the recipients of a mini-grant for their efforts to combat poor food access in the community. With the Latino population growing rapidly in North Carolina, these plans are exciting developments for Latino families. Grocers on Wheels is a year-round, mobile produce market that serves various organizations, housing developments, and neighborhoods in Southeast Raleigh. The new funding will pay for a cooler that will allow for the market to keep meats and produce fresh during the hot summer months. Voices into Action: The Families, Food and Health Project, a USDA-funded initiative of North Carolina State University, North Carolina ...
After two large grocery stores closed in Southeast Raleigh, North Carolina in 2012, the community became an official USDA-designated food deserts: a low income area without a full-service grocery store within a mile radius. Since then, the community has been brainstorming how they can bring healthy, fresh food back into this neighborhood. Voices into Action: The Families, Food and Health Project is a USDA-funded initiative of North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, and North Carolina Cooperative Extension that aims to increase access to healthy food and places to exercise in Southeast Raleigh. The group recently gave out 10 mini-grants to groups that proposed creative solutions to combat the community's low access to healthy foods. 16 individuals, ...
Latinos make up 15% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients nationwide. In Delaware, lawmakers are considering restricting unhealthy food purchases with SNAP funds. SNAP already has some restrictions. According to the USDA, recipients cannot use the assistance to buy beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco; any nonfood items; vitamins and medicines; any food that will be eaten in the store; and hot foods. However, among the items food stamps can be used to purchase are soft drinks, energy drinks, candy, cookies, cakes, snack crackers and ice cream. Law makers in Delaware see banning certain junk foods as a public health issue, part of the state's effort to promote wellness and reduce obesity. The bill is expected to be introduced in the State House ...
New Haven is the second most obese county in Connecticut, with 60 percent of Hispanic adults in New Haven struggling with obesity. Luckily, there are groups that are working to get healthy, nourishing food to those in the area who need it. New Haven Farms (NHF) works to combat both food insecurity and health conditions including diabetes and obesity by providing families with fresh produce and nutrition lessons. The organization currently operates eight small garden sites throughout the city, growing 5,500 pounds of produce feeding 20 families over the winter and 40 over the summer. In collaboration with the City of New Haven, NHF is in the process of acquiring a new farm that will triple its food output, allowing them to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for more families in ...
In 2010, food insecurity in Nevada children under 18 years of age was assessed at over 20%. The Reno City Council is teaming-up with the Washoe County Food Policy Council to research and identify planning and development policies that can promote healthy food access and support local food production and sales.City of Reno is hoping to use policy changes to address this unhealthy gap. The City Planning Commission, as part of their February 5 workshop, voted unanimously to amend the Planning Commission goals for the year to include food policy. The food policy council is hopeful that new policies will be crafted that bring healthy, affordable food to all families in Reno, almost a quarter of which are Hispanic. The Food Policy Council invites the public to come and speak in ...
