Recent Stories
March 9, 2018
The NJ YMCA State Alliance and New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids are partnering with Nestlé to pilot the Nestlé Start Healthy/Stay Healthy parent education program in five YMCA pre-schools throughout New Jersey. Start Healthy/Stay Healthy educates parents and caregivers about the nutritional needs of children during their first 1,000 days of life—from conception to age two. Sue Cornell, Healthy U Director for the NJ YMCA State Alliance, said the goal of the program is to “create conditions and opportunities that develop a foundation of healthy habits for life.” “More than 20% of children in the U.S. between the ages of two to five are overweight or obese, which increases the likelihood that they will be overweight adults. Early care and education programs, such as pre-k, child care centers and Head Start, can directly influence what young children eat and drink, encourage physical activity and promote healthy habits,” explained Cornell. […]
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March 9, 2018
A part-time job turned into a lifetime career for Cecilia Zalkind, President and Chief Executive Officer of Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ). While in law school, Zalkind met ACNJ’s Executive Director and signed on to do legislative policy work. “It probably was the luckiest day of my life,” Zalkind said. “Before law school, I had been a social worker at DYFS, which was by turns challenging, enlightening and frustrating. I knew there had to be a better way to help kids in the system.” She found that “better way” with ACNJ, and has stayed on for 34 years advancing in leadership roles that have helped produce key policy advances in child welfare, early care and education and health care in New Jersey. “It’s been a privilege to work here,” Zalkind said. ACNJ has become the best-known, most respected research and advocacy group for children in the state, with […]
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February 12, 2018
The New Jersey Healthy U program was recently selected as the inaugural winner of the 2017 CATCH® Award for Excellence in State Health! The CATCH® Awards for Excellence in Health are a national distinction presented by CATCH Global Foundation and Flaghouse, Inc.in recognition of exemplary efforts to promote and support health and wellness locally through the CATCH Program. The CATCH Award winners have distinguished themselves among the more than 10,000 sites across the United States through: Positive, demonstrable health impacts among those they serve; Exceptionally high standards for fidelity of program implementation; and, Continued dedication to sustain programmatic efforts across multiple The CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) curriculum has been an integral component of the Healthy U collaborative partnership between the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance and its 37 Member Associations. Since 2008, Healthy U has supported and promoted healthy lifestyles to […]
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February 12, 2018
The New Jersey Healthy Corner Store Initiative will kick off 2018 with its Heart Smarts program at the New Way Deli Market 617 MLK Blvd in Trenton, NJ from 10 AM – 12 PM. The Heart Smarts program includes nutrition education, free blood pressure screenings and $4 in Heart Bucks to use on heart-healthy store items. The free program will be held every 3rd Wednesday beginning February 21 through September 19th. The program is sponsored by Novo Nordisk, with support from The Food Trust, Capital Health and New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids. SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SaveSave SHARE:
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February 12, 2018
They say if you want something done, give it to a busy person. In this case, that person happens to be Charles T. Brown. Since February 2011, Brown has served as a senior researcher with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC). He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy both at Rutgers University. In addition to senior researcher, he also wears many other hats including community advocate, national thought leader and is a leading voice in encouraging social justice in active transportation. Brown was hired and continues to oversee the New Jersey Bicyclist Resource Center, which is funded by the NJ Department of Transportation. The New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center (BPRC) assists public officials, transportation and health professionals, and the public in creating a safer and more accessible walking and bicycling environment through primary research, education and dissemination of […]
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February 12, 2018
Grants to increase healthy eating and active living in NJ The New Jersey Healthy Communities Network’s Community Grants Program (NJHCN) recently announced that it awarded grants totaling $1.3 million to 66 New Jersey nonprofit organizations. NJHCN is a coalition of six funding organizations focused on supporting communities that increase opportunities for healthy eating and active living. The 66 funded organizations represent a cross-section of nonprofit, school, and government organizations from across the state and each will receive a grant of $20,000 over a two-year period. The grants were awarded to projects that have a lasting impact on building a culture of health in communities, schools, places of worship, early care, education, neighborhoods, and municipalities. Each grant will address at least one strategy to increase opportunities for physical activity and one strategy to improve access to healthy eating. Among the initiatives are: organizational and school wellness policies, farmers markets, open streets, […]
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February 12, 2018
Imagine being able to affect the lives of 800 Vineland-area families every week by ensuring that their pipeline to fresh fruits and vegetables can continue and expand. That’s the kind of opportunity that’s available by signing on as an advocate for Vineland’s Farm to Pantry program. Farm to Pantry links local farms and food dispensaries to get fresh food to the people who live in food deserts where fresh food is not easy to come by. The program was designed by the Vineland Health Department and Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA working in collaboration with the Community Food Bank of NJ. Last year from April to November, 35 tons of fresh produce was delivered to Vineland food pantries and soup kitchens allowing residents and their families to enjoy the taste and benefits of healthy eating. Tyler Cahill, a Health Education Field Representative for the Department of Health, and Craig Traina, a […]
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February 12, 2018
More Trenton children and youth will be able to enjoy a hot dinner, five-days-a-week at their after-school programs thanks to a grant from YMCA of the USA and reimbursement dollars from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The complimentary meals are offered to children and youth ages 18 and under. Currently, about 135 city children are served dinner daily as part of after-school programs at the Trenton YMCA and Martin Luther King Elementary. “The additional funds have allowed the program to expand to also include three city-operated community centers,” said Khadijah McQueen, Food Access Coordinator at the Trenton YMCA. “We hope to provide meals to a total of 750 children and youth daily by June 2018.” The Y also wants to provide dinners for kids at local housing developments. Planning for that initiative is underway with the hope to include two developments this year and add more in each year […]
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January 16, 2018
At the 2017 Culture of Health Conference, Valeria Galarza, Senior Project Manager, Cooper’s Ferry Partnership presented a Culture of Health Champion Award to the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers in recognition of the positive impact it has made in so many communities across the nation. Founded in 2002 by Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, the Camden Coalition started as a monthly breakfast group of local health care providers, community partners and advocates committed to elevating the health of patients facing the most complex medical and social challenges. The Camden Coalition’s most significant accomplishment is its ability to use “healthcare hotspotting,” an approach that uses data to help drive high quality, comprehensive care, and support services to some of the city’s high utilizers of healthcare. The Coalition’s work has sparked a field and movement that unites communities of caregivers in Camden and across the nation to innovate and test health care delivery models […]
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January 16, 2018
The Trenton Healthy Corner Store Network hosted Mercer County Freeholder & President/CEO of the Trenton YMCA Sam Frisby; Mercer County Freeholder Anthony Verrelli; legislative staff from Assemblyman Reed Gusciora’s Office; and other local officials on a site visit at New Way Deli Market in Trenton (617 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd) on December 12, 2017. The tour showcased the positive impact healthy corner stores like New Way Deli Market are making to increase people’s access to affordable, healthy food, as well as bolster economic development efforts by capturing retail dollars that would otherwise be spent outside of the community. The visit also featured the store’s new Heart Smarts program that includes on-site nutrition lessons and health screenings that are made available with support from Novo Nordisk. The Trenton Healthy Corner Store Network was launched by the Trenton YMCA in 2012 and is part of a larger statewide effort of the […]
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