Since 2008, Novato school district stopped serving red meat for Humane Society's Meatless Monday initiative. Miguel Villarreal, director of the district's food and nutritional services told local news the initiative helps them save water. "When you do that math for 2,500 gallons of water per one pound of beef for 1,000 pounds of beef,...over the last eight years we have conserved like 3 billion gallons of water," Villarreal said. With over 4,000 students in the district receiving breakfast and lunch, keeping kids satisfied, and providing nutritious easy-to-make foods are important for the district. The district is now working on gearing up for the new school year with fresh new ingredients and recipes. Sofia Garcia, who works in one of the High School's cafeteria explained to ...
In Oneida County (5.5% Latino), schools and lawmakers are working to get healthier school lunches for students, putting a petition in for better reimbursements so fresh and local produce can be purchased for the state's schools to provide locally sourced school lunches. The county is looking to offer healthier meals, with more locally grown produce options but needs an increase in cash subsidies for school food reimbursements, County Legislator Colin Idzi explained to local news, stating that forty years have gone by since the last state increase of the current six cents reimbursement rate. A state-level legislation that could increase the reimbursement rate up to 31 cents per meal is being sponsored by State Assemblywoman Addie Russell and co-sponsored by Assemblyman ...
Lack of diversity in USA Swimming's infrastructure became a hot topic in 2006, after Cullen Jones became the first African-American to hold a world record (4×100-meter freestyle relay) in swimming. Lack of diversity resurfaced this year at the Rio 2016 Olympics after Simone Manuel became the first ever African-American woman to win an individual Olympic Gold medal in swimming. A lack of minorities in competitive swimming is attached to deeper historical and generational roots - historically, segregation; generationally; fear, according to one source. Lack of pools in low-income, minority communities is part of the problem. For example, Minneapolis has one pool per 138,000 people compared to its wealthier twin city, St. Paul, which has one pool per 28,000 ...
Pete Garcia spent several years as a personal trainer in San Antonio, learning first-hand that many residents in at-risk parts of the city struggled with obesity and related health problems. So when Garcia became the city’s supervisor of athletics and programs, he wanted to develop and implement programs that would increase access to physical activity opportunities for at-risk residents across the city. With grant funding and the city’s formation of the Mayor’s Fitness Council a few years ago, Garcia was able to capitalize on partnerships and collaboration to develop the “Fitness in the Park” program to provide free fitness classes in parks in each of the city’s 10 council districts.
San Antonio Inactive and Unhealthy
Pete Garcia worked for many years as a personal ...
Back in 2011, Stephen Lucke was a student at University of Incarnate Word (UIW) when his idea of Gardopia started to grow.
"I was studying biochemistry and I took a nutrition class, and I just really became educated about the obesity epidemic in the United States, " said Lucke, "You know San Antonio was the most obese city in 2007."
While at UIW, Lucke decided he could do his part to help bring access to healthier foods and urban agriculture education to his community.
After fundraising in 2013 to start gardens at UIW and then helping to build gardens at the Ella Austin Community Center, Lucke soon realized that he needed to also start gardens in places that need healthier food access, most of them being places of lower socioeconomic status with high minority populations.
Where ...
The 87 Marin schools in Marin County, CA ( 16.0% Latino) are increasing school gardens, farm-to-school education, and local produce to provide kids a healthier school food environment. Kids have various salad options that include fresh vegetables like cabbage, kale, bok choy, cilantro, carrots, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, and strawberries at Lynwood Elementary. Also, local organic milk is offered in Laurel Dell Elementary School. The healthy fresh food options vary from district to district but offer various fruits and vegetables into school lunches and snacks. Miguel Villarreal, the director of food and nutritional services for Novato Unified School District, is also working on helping their schools offer healthy options by working with different local farmers, providing ...
Latino parents have increased the amount of 100 percent fruit juice that they allow their children to consume, according to a recent study by the University of California at San Francisco. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that 100% fruit juice can provide the body with essential vitamins and minerals, but this should not be confused with fruit drinks that are often made with unhealthy amounts of added sugars and flavoring syrups. Additionally, if a child consumes more juice than recommended they could experience weight gain, cavities and tooth decay, and be at risk of type II diabetes. Infants and toddlers that get more than the recommended amounts of juice have additional risks of experiencing diaper rash and diarrhea. Fruit juice should not be used when ...
From the start of one senior citizen's small backyard garden in Holladay, Utah, to now a flourishing program of over 28 gardens throughout Salt Lake City area, Green Urban Lunch Box helps senior citizens use their back yards to grow fresh vegetables for their community. It all started when Katie Nelson, the nonprofit's Back-Farms program coordinator asked 84-year-old Chiyoko Chiba if they could grow vegetables in her backyard. After much faith and some cultivation from the nonprofit's volunteers, the garden has helped senior citizens access healthier foods. In fact, over 12,000 pounds of fresh vegetables have been harvested since 2015 straight from various backyard farms. "This is a great opportunity to help out some folks who can no longer grow their own food," Nelson told ...
Incubator grant opportunities are open for up to $30,000 dollars to support innovative advocacy approaches that align with Voices for Healthy Kids policy priorities. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American Heart Association, and Voices for Healthy Kids are collaborating with a team of experts across healthy eating and active living with the initiative to mobilize people to help all children grow up to a be a healthy weight. Applications should align and support at least one Voices for Healthy Kids' policy priorities. The grants will be looking for innovative efforts in schools, communities and out-of-school time/early care and education and funds will be awarded 100% non-lobby funding. Deadline for the grant application submission is Thursday, August 18, 2016. Also, ...
