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4 Salem County boroughs receive $80k for health and wellness programs

March 28, 2018

Originally posted on NJ.com By Community Bulletin The Salem Health and Wellness Foundation and the Community Foundation of New Jersey announced today four grants awarded to local municipalities totaling $80,000 through the New Jersey Healthy Communities Network. The municipalities are Elmer Boro, Elsinboro, Pennsville and Quinton Townships. These municipalities will be part of a state-wide cohort of 66 organizations representing a cross section of nonprofit, school, and government organizations.  The New Jersey Healthy Communities Network is a coalition of six funding organizations supporting communities in increasing healthy eating and active living. The funding collaborative includes the Salem Health and Wellness Foundation, New Jersey Department of Health, Atlantic Health System, Partners for Health, New Jersey Health Initiatives, and New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids. Projects funded by the Foundation in Salem County will work to create or extend current walking paths, improve healthy options at concession stands, conduct walk/bike/food audits, work […]

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Students visit sewerage agency; free help with tax forms | Journal Entries

March 28, 2018

Originally posted on NJ.com Students visit PVSC lab Students in the Saint Dominic Academy Chemistry Honors and AP Chemistry classes had the opportunity to visit the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission on Feb. 1 for Lab Day.  Accompanied by Dr. Ronald Schreck and Ms. Cristina Manuel, the students toured the water treatment facility and the water analysis lab. The objective of the event was to showcase various careers within the sciences, raise awareness of the important role labs play in society, and educate the students regarding lab procedures and responsibilities. Free tax preparation  United Way of Hudson County is teaming up with the AARP foundation Tax-Aide program and provide a free service to anyone in the Hudson county area. You can have your federal and state income taxes electronically prepared and filed by IRS certified volunteers at no cost. To be eligible you must be a New Jersey resident for all […]

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Area organizations receive grants

March 28, 2018

PUBLISHED FEB 12, 2018 AT 5:14 PM (UPDATED FEB 12, 2018) on AdvertiserNewsSouth.com NEWTON — The Center for Prevention and Counseling, the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges-Franklin and Sussex County Division of Senior Services were among 66 New Jersey non-profits to receive a portion of $1.3 million in grants from the New Jersey Healthy Community Network’s grants program. 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, […]

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March Is National Nutrition Month

March 9, 2018

Go Further with Food It’s Sunday, you’ve opened your refrigerator to check your food supply. After you determine what you need, you head out to the grocery store. Once you return from grocery shopping, you unpack your bags and start to cook your Sunday meal. But, have you ever considered preparing a weeks’ worth of meals in advance? That’s exactly what the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is encouraging families across the nation to do as part of its “Go Further with Food” campaign during National Nutrition Month. “Preparing several meals on weekends can provide balanced meals that can easily be reheated throughout the week,” says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson Kristen Smith. “It’s also a great way to eat healthfully, save time during the week and reduce food waste.” Preparing your own food can be time consuming, but it is the healthiest way for you to monitor what […]

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Healthy March Madness Snacks

March 9, 2018

You’ve got your college basketball brackets picked out, now it’s time to start watching the games! Beware, there are a LOT of games being played over the next few weeks, so indulging in the usual pizza and wings may leave you with a few extra pounds come April. Step up your game and get into the March Madness spirit, by choosing some delicious healthier options to serve as you watch the tournaments! We’ve highlighted 10 healthy March Madness recipes you can pass around, below. 1. Spiralized Potato Chips with Onion Dip A healthy easy and delicious alternative to traction fried potato chips, the homemade chips are sure to have your guests hoping for overtime. 2. Sea Salt & Lime Popcorn Lightly salted, zesty and bursting with lime flavor, this sea salt & lime popcorn is a must for the snack table! Pop some up for game day or for anytime […]

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Nestlé Partnering with New Jersey YMCAs on Start Healthy/Stay Healthy Program

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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Celebrating ACNJ’s Cecilia Zalkind during Women’s History Month

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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Profile: Charles Brown – Fighting for Social Justice and Street Equality

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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$1.3 Million Awarded to 66 NJ Nonprofit Organizations to Advance Policy and Environment Changes

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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Involvement Is Vital to Stocking Vineland’s Food Pantries

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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