An abandoned alley in Lake Worth, Fla., was re-developed into an attractive greenway through team work and perseverance by a researcher, school district employee, city staff, and the community. The greenway, which is located near a school in a predominantly Latino area, will increase the area’s walkability and connect two neighborhoods to a nearby high school.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: Dr. Ruth McCaffrey, a trained nurse and professor at Florida Atlantic University, was keenly aware that obesity was a growing concern in Lake Worth, Fla. About 30% of the city’s 35,000 residents live in poverty, and 40% are Latino—with a growing number of families migrating there from Guatemala. Several parts of town lack adequate spaces for physical activity, and the way the city was designed impedes ...
The Youth Activism Project, a youth-driven leadership development program, believes that "kids should be seen and heard!" Because 26% of the U.S. population is under the age of 18, the Youth Activism Project is working to empower youth across the world to be change agents for their community. Since 1992 they have worked to: Promote youth civic engagement
Provide free advice via email and their toll-free hotline
Train adults on how to work with young people
Convince community, educational and government leader to engage young people in meaningful roles
Share best practices and strategies for lasting change
Serve as a network for like-minded individuals Check out their youth strategies page to learn more about the first steps in change, ways to find funding, and more about 100 ...
If you're interested in learning about youth advocacy, see what CANFIT is doing to train minority youth to speak up for healthy changes in their community! CANFIT's Resources to Improve Physical Activity Standards CANFIT has done extensive work to improve the standards and quality of after-school programming for Latino students in California. To learn more about this area, browse through their policy recommendations, roadmap, physical activity guidelines and more for ways to improve the out of school time environment. MO PROJECT Youth Convening CANFIT’s MO Project Youth Convening is a series of workshops on advocacy for youth ages 13-18. CANFIT focuses on working with low-income minority youth, who live in communities that have limited access to healthy foods and safe places of ...
A hospital in Louisville, KY has a new, healthy neighbor. The Bluegrass Farmers' Market began setting up its stands on Thursdays in June 2013. Next to Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital in south Louisville, the farmers' market has been welcomed by hospital administration, staff, patients, and the surrounding community. Local farmers gather each week to sell fruits, vegetables, homemade baked goods, jellies, jams, and more. At least one of the stands now takes Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Hopefully more will be able to do so soon, allowing everyone regardless of income to enjoy fresh, healthy ...
How do… …city officials cut obesity rates from 35% to 29%? (Pg 1) …Latino families go “a day without sugar”? (Pg 3) …Bodegas add healthier foods? (Pg 5) Find the answers and more in the new Salud America! E-Newsletter. Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The program aims to unite and increase the number of Latino stakeholders engaged in community change and research on environmental and policy solutions to the epidemic. The network is directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. For more info, go ...
More folks can use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for fresh, healthy food at farmers' markets in Pittsburgh, thanks to Just Harvest, a non-profit advocating for economic justice. The program works by allowing people to swipe their electronic benefits transfer card at the market and receive wooden tokens that can be exchanged with most vendors to buy food. Live in Pittsburgh? Find a farmers' market or farm stand that accepts SNAP near ...
Food and beverage marketers increasingly target Latino kids because of their increasing population size, media exposure and spending power. Much of this kid-focused advertising is for unhealthy foods, studies show. But additional industry self-regulation and governmental regulation—stimulated by community awareness and action—can help limit the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to Latino kids, according to a new package of research materials from Salud America! The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children. Download the new Salud America! "Healthier Marketing & Latino Kids" research materials, which include a research review of the latest science, an original animated video, and an infographic. Latino kids ...
Brotherhood is a term for a close-knit system of support and friendship among men. In Spanish, this is known as hermandad. For three Latino men fighting to survive prostate cancer, hermandad was a unifying force that helped them through the most difficult challenge of their lives—and it wouldn’t have been possible without the innovative patient navigation project from Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research Network, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute and headquartered at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. Guadalupe Ortiz Valadez, age 61. Roman Mejia Hernandez, age 57. Francisco Lopez, age 58. Each man has a different life story, background, and struggle with cancer. But their ...
Check out the The Network for a Healthy California—Rethink Your Drink Campaign, which aims to educate low-income Californians about healthy drink options. The campaign, a public health initiative led by the California Department of Public Health, also aims to help identify drinks with added sugar and make the link between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and health risks. In this way, the campaign hopes to shift consumption toward healthier, more affordable beverages like water. The campaign offers lots of resources, including some in Spanish: Tip sheets
Pledge cards
sugar calculations
recipes
information about a cartoon character, Potter the Otter, who loves water. Officials hope the campaign stimulates community-level partnerships and invites local ...
