The YMCA of Southeast Texas has partnered up with Lamar State College in Port Arthur, TX (30% Latino) to reverse Latino childhood obesity! According to a Texas YMCA blog post, players from Lamar State's basketball team, the Seahawks, met with local students to offer free basketball lessons during the month of January 2014. Students were instructed by the Seahawks and their head coach, Lance Madison, on fundamental skills used in basketball like dibbling, passing, and shooting. This is the second year the Seahawks bring free basketball lessons to students ages 3-13. To learn more about this change click here. To connect with the YMCA of Southeast Texas visit their page here. ...
When the last school bell rings, many kids head to after-school activities. The Boys & Girls Club has been a fixture of the after-school community for decades, providing programs and services that promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. Recently, the Boys & Girls Club of Goshen, Indiana has made a four-year commitment address hunger and wellness issues. Around 30% of the population in Goshen is Latino, and many kids participate in programs at the local Boys & Girls club. One of these initiatives is planting and maintaining a new garden to get kids excited about eating healthy food. With the support of staff, attendees will be responsible for daily care and ...
How can we get Latino high school students to be more physically active? Why not expose them to the outdoors or incorporate the use of technology? According to a recent U.S. News and World Report, high schools across the country are finding ways to make the gym curriculum more fun and engaging so that high-schoolers continue to be active throughout adulthood. At San Raphael High, a 59% Latino school, students have the option of taking evening electives like sailing or hiking. According to San Raphael teacher, C.J. Healy, the school is trying to introduce students to new activities outside of competitive sports. In addition to these activities, students also participate in a more traditional PE class once a week. Other schools in Virginia and West Virginia are introducing ...
In early June, Baldwin Area Medical Center announced the phase-out of sugary beverage sales and distribution to patients. The announcement is consistent with a national trend in leading healthcare institutions to only offer healthy drinks in all their facilities. This wellness initiative was begun in January 2014 and includes the implementation of healthy vending criteria. Instead of soda, the facility serves water, low-fat or nonfat milk, unsweetened coffee, tea and reduced-size 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices. Vending machines are stocked by the hospital’s own food service so all items meet the health criteria. Studies show Latino kids drink more sugary drinks a day than their White peers, making initiatives like this especially important to Latino patients and ...
In late May 2014, Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge introduced the Fit for Life Act of 2014, legislation to combat the childhood obesity epidemic. This bill increases access to healthy foods, expands prevention and treatment options for low-income children, and increases opportunities for physical activity for our youth. "This country must break the cycle of childhood obesity," said Congresswoman Fudge. "Unless we reverse course, this epidemic will continue to put more of our children and the future of our nation at risk. I encourage my colleagues to stand with me in this fight and cosponsor the Fit for Life Act." Fit for Life Act of 2014 supports mobile healthy food programs, expands access to healthy foods for children in child care, and increases coverage for obesity prevention ...
Physicians in Boston are adopting a unique model for health which includes a new prescribe-a-bike program! To encourage patients to get healthy while staying active, The Boston Medical Center partnered with Hubway---the city's bike share program---to offer low-income patients a bike share membership. Now, patients who qualify for a "bike prescription" will be eligible to receive a free bike helmet and to participate in the bike share program for only $5. Latinos in Boston make up 18% of the population and have higher obesity rates than that of the white majority population. Through the expansion of the bike share's membership, Hubway hopes to add bike share stations in more low-income communities throughout the city. Read more about the prescribe-a-bike program here. ...
What if all restaurants were committed to only serving the freshest, healthiest foods to their customers? In Albuquerque, New Mexico, a popular Mediterranean restaurant is hoping to do just that by starting their own urban farm. The owners of Yanni's Mediterranean Grill have teamed-up with some farmers to help create an urban farm that will be home to different delicious fruits and vegetables. The idea is to use the fresh produce in recipes for dishes at Yanni’s and their adjacent Lemoni Lounge. The two female farmers have already constructed a 60-foot raised bed, filled it with organic soil and compost, and planted seeds. Almost half of folks who live in Albuquerque are Latino, and the whole community will benefit from more fresh, healthy food grown right in the ...
Kids in San Antonio can be excited about the growing number of SPARK parks in the city! In November 2013, San Antonio Sports opened a new SPARK park at Sky Harbour elementary, a school of the Southwest Independent School District. That same month another SPARK park was opened at Camelot elementary, a school in the Northeast Independent School district. Now, San Antonio Sports has opened yet another SPARK park at Villareal elementary, a school of the Northside Independent School District (NISD), and has plans to open two more parks at NISD schools during 2014! Just two years ago, SPARK Parks were non-existent in San Antonio, but in April 2012, San Antonio's city council approved an ordinance which allowed district funds to be used towards the development of SPARK ...
As summer approaches, farmers' markets begin kicking into high gear. Phat Beats Produce, a group of passionate food activists in Oakland, CA, are working to upgrade their Saturday farmers' market to have it serve more low-income families, farmers of color (many of which are Latino), and the whole North Oakland neighborhood. Since 2010, the Saturday market has been a forum for small farmers of color to connect with urban dwellers, while keeping the prices of their organically-grown produce affordable and accessible. It is a space that hosts grassroots economic initiatives that assist low-income residents such as the Phat Beets Kitchen Incubator Program and the Phat Beetz Youth Pickle Company. Through free Food n' Justice Workshops, monthly crop swaps and free ...
