Recent Stories
November 10, 2015
“Is transportation a contemporary civil rights issue?” That was the question posed by Dr. Darrin Anderson, deputy director of New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK), who served as the keynote speaker for the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association (GMTMA) annual meeting. Held on Friday, October 23, the event was attended by more than 150 individuals representing policy makers, transportation professionals and local business leaders. GMTMA is a non-profit, public-private partnership dedicated to improving mobility and reducing traffic congestion in and around Mercer and Ocean counties. GMTMA provides information, administers programs and assists commuters and residents with rideshare matching, bicycle and pedestrian programs, rail and bus travel information and incentives for commuters. NJPHK has partnered with GMTMA on on Safe Routes to School events, walking audits, and this year’s BikeFest at Greenwood Ave. Farmers Market which included bike safety training for children, free bike helmets, arm reflectors for adults and […]
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November 10, 2015
Dr. Sandra G. Hassink, President, American Academy of Pediatrics, will be the keynote speaker at the 4th Annual Building a Culture of Health in NJ Conference on Wednesday, December 2 at Pines Manor in Edison, NJ. She will speak on the social determinants of health and civil rights pertaining to food access and physical activity. Dr. Hassink has focused her career on preventing and treating childhood obesity. She is a pediatrician at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children (AIDHC) in Wilmington, Del., where she founded the weight management program in 1988 and serves as director of the Nemours Pediatric Obesity Initiative. She is co-principal investigator for the Healthy Active Living for Families project, which promotes active healthy living for parents and families of young children. Participants at this year’s conference also will be able to choose among six workshops focused on topics related to improving the health of NJ communities. […]
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October 26, 2015
A vacant asphalt lot at the corner of Greenwood Avenue and Hudson Street in Trenton became a healthy haven for hundreds of residents when it transformed into the Greenwood Ave. Farmers Market this summer. The market was a ‘first of its kind’, featuring a combination of farmers market standards – fresh fruits and vegetables, locally sourced honey, eggs and baked goods – combined with unique offerings, including health screening services, physical activities, bingo and community events, such as a BikeFest and fall festival. “The Greenwood Ave. Farmers Market was a true success; exceeding our expectations and laying a great foundation on which to build for next year,” said Darrin Anderson, Deputy Director, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids. The Greenwood Ave, Farmers Market opened every Monday (except Labor Day and Columbus Day) from June 15th through October 26th. Over its 18-week run, approximately 4,000 residents/customers visited the market. Over the […]
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October 14, 2015
On October 14, about 620 fourth and fifth-grade students in the Middletown Township School District got to play with the pros in a free joint soccer and basketball ProCamp. The ProCamp was led by New Jersey natives Carli Lloyd, a World Soccer Cup MVP, and Jay Williams, an All-American basketball player and first round draft choice. The three-hour Healthy U Be Active ProCamp kicked off with team photos with the pros followed by camper drills. Then the games began. Throughout the event, Lloyd and Williams spoke to the kids about the importance of good nutrition and physical activity. More importantly, they modeled their messages. An awards ceremony capped off the event. The camp was presented by the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance. Middletown Township hosted the event. Middletown Township Schools are among the first and the largest in the state to incorporate Healthy […]
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September 10, 2015
General Mills is the first corporate employer in Vineland to join the Healthy Worksite Program as part of the Live Healthy Vineland initiative. “General Mills is a great win for the community, and its location across from South Vineland Park gives us a chance to reintroduce to park to General Mills’ 400 employees and use the grounds and its amenities,” said David Calderetti, project manager for New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Vineland (NJPHK-V). The first step is to form a Wellness Committee and then survey the needs and desires of employees and leadership. “Healthy Worksite is not a one-size fits all initiative,” explained Calderetti. “We use proven CDC methods to understand what makes sense for a given employer and the employees.” And there’s more: Employers from the public sector are also engaged. The Vineland Public School District has agreed to be a Healthy Worksite for its 2,300 employees. In addition, […]
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September 10, 2015
Eat your fruits and veggies this month and join the Produce for Better Health Foundation’s pledge to fight obesity by participating in their September initiative. The Fruits and Veggies—More Matters® campaign is a health initiative focused on helping Americans increase fruit and vegetable consumption for better health. The program, led by the Produce for Better Health Foundation has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention to help spread the word about the health benefits of adding more fruits and veggies to your diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest 5 – 7 portions of fruit and vegetables should be consumed on a daily basis. Doing so may help reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers. Research shows that over 90% of all Americans do not eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables. To meet these recommendations, most need to […]
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September 10, 2015
This summer kids from Burlington and Camden Counties had the opportunity to cool off, have fun and learn valuable swim skills through the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties’ Free Swim Safe water safety program. Focusing on confidence building, the program taught children, ages six to 12, basic swimming skills as well as safety practices while in and out of the water. The program was started to address a major need in the counties – to provide affordable, local swim lessons and swim safety to those who would otherwise not have access due to a lack of resources and instruction. The YMCA has been a leader in providing swim lessons to youth for over 100 years so the program was a perfect fit for the organization and its staff to come together and make a difference with the children of the communities they serve. “We are so happy to be […]
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September 10, 2015
In Trenton, NJPHK is led by Isles Inc. and the YMCA of Trenton. This month we spotlight our partner by taking a look at its growth and support of Trenton’s community gardens. As part of its mission to revitalize communities, train and educate and promote healthy living, Isles, a community development and environmental organization, has supported community gardens with technical training, seeds and seedlings, tools, and site assessments for more than 33 years. The Isles Garden Support Network (IGSN) currently supports over 60 school and community gardens, helping individuals, families, students and teachers actively take part in the ‘grow your own’ movement. “I’ve been with Isles for seven years,” said Jim Simon, Urban Agriculture Manager. “When I started, we supported about 30 gardens; it is amazing that in the time since, we’ve more than doubled the number of gardens.” The four members of the Isles agriculture team, along with many […]
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September 10, 2015
One in three children in the United States is overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The good news is that childhood obesity can be prevented. In honor of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids encourages your family to make healthy changes together. Here are a few tips: Get active outside: Walk around the neighborhood, go on a bike ride, or play basketball at the park. Limit screen time: Keep screen time (time spent on the computer, watching TV, or playing video games) to 2 hours or less a day. Make healthy meals: Buy and serve more vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods. Taking small steps as a family can help your child stay at a healthy weight. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, […]
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September 9, 2015
The place to be in Vineland this summer was at Giampietro Park for sunrise yoga on Monday mornings. The yoga series was the most popular Park Hop event, drawing the biggest crowds—at 7:30 A.M. “We’re assessing all of the events in the series,” David Calderetti, project manager for NJPHK-V, said. “We’re relaunching Park Hop in October and we’re taking a look at the events that drew the largest crowds to see what will be of most interest to residents in the fall.” Park Hop, sponsored by Live Healthy Vineland, took shape through the collaboration of Vineland Health Department, the Cumberland Cape County YMCA and NJPHK-V. It gave residents a chance to enjoy the parks and participate in loosely organized activities from walking to Frisbee to yoga. October’s schedule of parks and activities is being firmed up, but it’s a safe bet that yoga will make the list. Residents began to […]
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