Actor and New Orleans native Wendell Pierce saw the extreme devastation in his hometown caused by hurricane Katrina. While city has since rebuilt and is slowing getting back to busy as usual, one major resource is still lacking in many low-income areas: a grocery store. Consequently, the health of many residents has suffered. Pierce wanted to do something for his struggling hometown. Along with his business partners, Pierce invested in a chain of convenience stores, Sterling Express, and a full-service grocery store, Sterling Farms. Sterling Farms opened in March 2013 and is in a "food desert," a neighborhood where residents must travel more than a mile to a store selling fresh food. Besides stocking bunches of fresh fruits and vegetables, the convenience store chain caters to other ...
When it comes to our food environment, every small step towards making the easy choice the healthy choice is important. Texas State Representative Naomi Gonzales introduced a bill that would promote healthier purchases with SNAP benefits by restricting food retailers from associating SNAP with junk food. For example, a retailer would not be allowed to advertise their participation in the SNAP program by placing a sticker near a display of candy bars. The bill went into affect September 1st ...
The organizers behind Transit to Trails recognize that although few people of color visit national forests and other green spaces in Southern California, it does not mean that they do not value parks and green space. Cities that have fewer parks or wilderness areas have higher levels of childhood obesity. That's why Transit to Trails takes inner city youth and their families and friends on fun mountain, beach, and Los Angeles River hiking and biking trips. The project enriches their education about water, land, wildlife, and cultural history, and teaches the importance of physical activity and healthy eating for life-long health. Transit to Trails aims to diversify access to parks and support for green space. Although Latino children in Southern California are less likely to visit ...
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced a bill that outlines critical public health and prevention initiatives to fight chronic disease, encourage healthier schools, communities and workplaces, and improve physical activity opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The Healthier Lifestyles and Prevention America (HeLP America) Act includes wellness provisions in a broad range of areas, including expanded access to fresh fruits and vegetables for all low-income elementary schools, tax incentives for businesses that offer comprehensive workplace wellness programs to their employees, improved physical activity and athletic opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and greater oversight with regard ...
Through the Healthy Place Initiative efforts to improve green space, and provide opportunities for out-of-school play time have been successful. The Healthy Place Initiative in Chicago is a $5.8 million project funded by the CDC and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative (CPPW). Healthy Places focuses on four target areas including: food access, safe walking and biking, breastfeeding support, and school environments. There are many ways to get involved in efforts to make Chicago a healthier place to live. Resources This presentation from the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago (CLOCC), provides information on ways to improve Chicago's outdoor spaces. This interactive mapping tool will help you share your thoughts about ...
Sometimes it takes patience and perseverance for improvements to come to one's neighborhood. After waiting for 25 years, residents living in the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Area finally got the park they wanted. Although phase I has been completed residents look forward to seeing the second phase of park development begin. Phase II of The Beacon Hill Linear Park is scheduled to begin construction in late 2013, thanks largely in part to the efforts of City Councilman Diego Bernal, who secured funds for phase II through the city's 2012-2017 bond fund. Community leaders spoke at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of Phase I of the Beacon Hill Linear Park. John Karlis, Vice President of the Beacon Hill Area Neighborhood Association, spoke of the park's community garden and Cosima ...
There is a bill now in front of the House Education Committee that will eliminate certain foods that are considered "junk foods" from lunch rooms and vending machines in South Carolina. The bill would also allow for only water, 100% fruit juice, and fat-free or low-fat milk to be offered in schools. Changing regulations would require the snacks served in the lunch room or in vending machines must not have more than 200 calories, 35% of total calories from fat, 35% of their total weight composed of sugar, or 10% of their total calories from saturated fat. These rules will only apply to events and locations during the school day, and will not be regulated during after school clubs, activities, or fundraisers. The regulation of food and nutrition at fundraisers will be debated in the ...
A group of 24 Spanish speaking women in Bakersfield, who were part of a walking group, recognized the need for improvements in their local park. In order to get these improvements they worked with the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention (CCROP) Program to conduct a walkability assessment of their neighborhood. The information collected through the assessment was presented before the city council, and city officials agreed to provide resources for the improvements that were needed. Later the walking group was able to gather additional support from the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce ($10,000) to create a walking path. Once funds for the path were available, volunteers from throughout the community showed up to the park to construct the walking path and even the children ...
The Sioux City school district has initiated a program which they hope will encourage children to walk to school. Through grants from the state department of public health, school officials will initiate an effort to create a network of parents and peers who would walk to school.
As a Blue Zones designated community, Sioux City hopes to help Iowa become the healthiest state by 2016. The Sioux City school district is initiating a one week walking program at each school, but hopes that parents will continue the program on their own. Read the full news article about the Sioux City's efforts to initiate more walking to ...
