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.
"Right to Breathe" is an effort to educate Nevadans about smokefree air in Nevada and its potential impact on health, local businesses, and the state economy.
The National Center for Healthy Housing is tracking the health impact of the green renovation of an affordable 60-unit apartment complex in Worthington, Minnesota. Residents are primarily low-income minority families employed in the food processing industry. Results of this project can inform local zoning decisions and building codes.
For two years, West Oakland residents and community partners worked to research and identify seventeen indicators to monitor environmental, health, and social conditions for their neighborhood. Residents then used the data in the indicators report to issue a formal request that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) develop stronger regulations requiring the Red Star Yeast factory (the area's second leading source of toxic emissions) to reduce both pollution and noxious odors. The evidence in the report was also used to build media advocacy, testify at public hearings, and to garner letters demanding regulation and enforcement from the Department of Public Health and local elected officials. The combination of evidence and pressure led BAAQMD to remove the exemptions that had grandfathered Red Star Yeast into antiquated emissions standards.
In 1990, the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) began to redevelop Diggs Town, a large low-income public housing project in Norfolk, Virginia. The Diggs Town Public Housing Redevelopment Project improved public safety, fostered a sense of pride in common spaces, and integrated social services into the community.
Concerned about high pedestrian injury rates, residents of Cutler and Orosi in Tulare County, California identified and implemented solutions through a series of community wide forums, focus groups, and workshops.
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.
An award-winning initiative, the Shreveport/Bossier Community Renewal (SBCR) is an effort to rebuild the social bonds within the Shreveport region of Louisiana, a low-income area with high crime rates.
In the Pico Union/MacArthur Park area of Los Angeles-home to a diverse Latino population-the Los Angeles Economic Development Zone provides services to under-employed and unemployed residents to help them become licensed to prepare, handle, and sell food products that are healthy and reflect the culture of local community.
Recognizing that "undoing racism," and embracing cultural diversity are keys to eliminating persistent health disparities in the city of Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission led a multi-faceted initiative that began with an institutional assessment in which the Commission asked the question, "how is racism at play here?"
Collaborate With Us
Join us in advancing health equity and community empowerment — get in touch today to support the Prevention Institute’s efforts.