Moved to action by the low-quality foods provided to her brother while in transitional housing, Robin Emmons began growing a few fruits and and vegetables and making weekly deliveries to the house. She soon realized that many communities in Charlotte were facing the same issues as her brother. Lack of access to healthy foods and long commutes to grocery stores were forcing many families to sacrifice eating healthy for whatever is convenient. She decided to take her garden up a notch. On land donated by local farmers and businesses, Emmons grows healthy foods that she later sells at farm stands at affordable prices. She started a non-profit, Sow Much Good, that is dedicated to growing healthy communities in underserved neighborhoods. People are also able to use their food stamps to ...
In Compton, CA, fresh fruits and vegetables are scarce, and residents are feeling it. About 40% of folks living in Compton are obese; many struggle with chronic disease like diabetes. In this predominantly Latino city, corner stores are everywhere and even the "fresh" produce at the local grocery store is often spoiled. City officials are taking a big step in the right direction: opening a farmers' market. In early September, the City opened the Blue Line Farmers' Market, the first in Compton in more than a decade. It sits right at a Metro stop, welcoming riders as they get off. City officials said the weekly Wednesday farmers market is just the first step. The City Council has added health and wellness as one of its "critical priorities" for the coming fiscal year, and in ...
In Lawrence, Hispanics make up the majority of the population with over 70%. Close to 45% of children and about 69 percent of adults are overweight or obese in Lawrence, according to the city's Department of Health. The City has decided to take action to get folks moving towards better health. Mayor William Lantigua, members of the Mayor’s Health Task Force, Board of Health and local agencies implemented a seven page Healthy Active Living Resolution in early September 2013. Included in the resolution are commitments to improve recreational areas of the city to promote physical activity, increase access to affordable, healthy foods, and create a municipal employee wellness program. The health task force and city departments need to submit their proposals to Mayor Lantigua within ...
In the newest effort to combat childhood obesity in United States, the Partnership for America's Health along with First Lady Michelle Obama has launched a new campaign to encourage kids and adults alike to drink more water, Drink Up. The First Lady helped kick-off the campaign in Watertown, Wisconsin, and spoke at a local high school According to the press release, In the next year, supporters will carry the Drink Up logo on nearly 300 million packs of bottle water; more than half a billion bottles of water; 200,000 packages of reusable bottles; and more than 10,000 reusable bottles. Additionally, more than 10,000 outdoor public taps are expected to carry the brand over the next few years. Check out ...
Want to introduce youth to the farmers' market? Check La Semilla's farmers' market activity guide. The handout asks students to walk around the market and asks questions like, "What kinds of foods are available here?" and provides a handful of questions to ask a vendor. Get your youth organization acquainted with all the healthy options they can find at their local farmers' market. Farmers' Market ...
Fresh fruits and vegetables are hard to find in East Palo Alto. Unlike its southern neighbor Palo Alto, East Palo Alto only has one local grocery store and one weekday farmers' market that sometimes only attracts three vendors.Many area farmers skip the market in East Palo Alto because they can make three times as much money in high-income areas and at markets on weekend mornings. A predominantly Latino city, East Palo Alto's one grocery store, Mi Pueblo, caters to Latino cooking, but many residents still travel elsewhere for cheaper groceries. Despite all this, advocates and community organizations in East Palo Alto haven't given up on getting their neighborhood on a healthier track. Before entering the East Palo Alto Community Farmers' Market located in front of the ...
"Rethink Your Drink" began as a educational campaign captained by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many communities across the country have used the campaign to educate folks on how sugary drinks affect your body and to identify healthy, tasty alternatives to high-calorie sugar-sweetened beverages. Currently, Riverside County, California is bringing medical professionals, schools, policy makers, and community groups together to fight sugary drinks through the "Rethink Your Drink" campaign. With the prevalence of childhood obesity in Riverside County at 38.2 percent (higher than California’s 38 percent) and, with scientific evidence that links consumption of sugary beverages with weight gain as being stronger than any other food category, the campaign has been ...
After-school sports are a great way to for kids to be active, build confidence, and make new friends. However, many parents bring junk food for snacks after the game and between innings, sending mixed messages about health to the kids. If you want to take a stand against unhealthy snacks at your kids' sports games, but don't know how to get other parents on board, consider this Soccer Snacktivism Handbook courtesy of Real Mom Nutrition. In it you'll find a sample letter to other team parents, answers to frequently asked questions about healthy snacks, and a slideshow. Who knows? Maybe your voice was just the right nudge other parents needed to kick out the ...
Folks who use food stamps (SNAP) to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets in South Carolina might soon see their purchases double. During state budget negotiations, the Senate Finance Committee decided to include a provision committing $1.9 million to a program that doubles the first $5 of food stamp benefits when they are used to buy fresh produce at farmers markets. In other words, get $10 worth of veggies for $5.
The double dollars program, which has already been approved in a handful of states, has to get the O.K. from the federal government since it deals with a federal program, SNAP. Read more about the provision's progress!
Update: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is asking South Carolina for input on what food items would be ...
