On the rural Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation in Plummer, Idaho, the incidence of obesity, diabetes, and other food-related illnesses are exceptionally high. Disconnected from the traditions of their native ancestors, members of this community are often left with unhealthy food choices, such as processed foods, deli foods, fast food, or microwaveable options. To tackle this issue, the Youth Activity Director, an active member in the art community, and Laura Laumatia collaborated with one another to create the One Sky/One Earth Food Coalition, with the simple goal of "making it easier for individuals to make good food choices."
In Kansas City, Missouri, schools are undertaking a new approach to improving the health of children as well as their families. Dubbed "Food from the Farm," this program is aimed at teaching kindergarteners about healthy foods and healthy eating, providing them with the necessary tools to make the healthy choice. The aim of Food from the Farm is to connect kindergarteners and their families to local farmers as a means to encourage eating local fruits and vegetables and to help kids understand where food comes from.
- In Wood County, 19 new gardens have been created at childcare centers serving 1,800 children. The gardens support early learning about healthy eating and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables.
- More than 200 second- through fourth-grade students at 10 Wood County elementary schools participated in Fit-tastic, an eight-week afterschool program that helped them develop healthier eating and physical-activity habits.
This community-driven project engaged a variety of age groups in revitalizing Hunting Park to prevent violence and promote healthy food access through a new community garden and farmers market.
This project developed a healthy local food system that addressed underlying inequities that contributed to violence in the underserved Westwood community of Denver.
In 2007 the Holyoke Food & Fitness Policy Council (HFFPC), with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, set out to create a more healthy and vibrant Holyoke by developing policies and system changes that improve opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity.
In 2004, the Food Trust in Philadelphia, PA, in partnership with The Reinvestment Fund and the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, identified a strong need for government investment to finance supermarkets, grocery stores, and other healthy food retailers in underserved communities. This led to the first statewide fresh food financing initiative.
The Garden of Eden is a community-run grocery like facility established to serve the African American community in St. Louis. The project was initiated because local advocates and researchers identified obesity as a major health concern.
Working intensively in the low-income city of Muskegon, Michigan, this relatively new organization is galvanizing support for a local, sustainable food system and hopes to get a statewide initiative on the 2010 ballot that will declare healthy, sustainable food as a right for every Michigan resident.
This statewide advocacy center works at the nexus of nutrition, hunger, and poverty as it coordinates a network of nutrition activists and professionals to advocate for statewide legislation to improve school nutrition, increase participation in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, and increase the minimum wage.
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