Recent Stories
July 9, 2015
Bicycling is a big part of David Calderetti’s life and he hopes to make Vineland a more bicycle-friendly environment as part of his work as project manager of New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Vineland (NJPHK-V) and director of Live Healthy Vineland. Calderetti joined Live Healthy Vineland and NJPHK-V in January 2015. He came to the Partnership with a firm appreciation for the healthy living transition taking place in Vineland. As a Safe Routes to School coordinator for Cross County Connection, he assisted Lisa Scheetz and the Partnership in the acquisition of the $270,000 Safe Routes to School Infrastructure grant that will improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities near Sabater Elementary school in Vineland. That experience introduced him to NJPHK and when the project manager position opened up, it provided a perfect opportunity. Looking ahead, Calderetti envisions introducing multi-model transportation in Vineland by educating and encouraging residents on how to incorporate active […]
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July 9, 2015
Vineland’s summer Park Hop Series kicked off June 29 and will continue through August 6. Designed to bring residents into city parks over the summer, Park Hop will present activities throughout Vineland in parks that often are underutilized. “Each day, an event will take place at a different park,” explained David Calderetti, project manager of New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Vineland (NJPHK-V). A Vineland resident can start off the week with sunrise yoga, join a lunchtime walk on Tuesday or Wednesday, catch a game of soccer on Wednesday evening and make new friends while playing Ultimate Frisbee on Thursdays. “We want to showcase a range of creative active play and games–like yoga or Ultimate Frisbee–that don’t require special equipment. You can just show up, get active and have a lot of fun,” said Calderetti. The vital aim is to help residents reclaim the parks and use them regularly beyond the […]
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July 9, 2015
A spirit of health and well-being is alive and well in New Brunswick this summer with the return of the New Brunswick Community Farmers Market. The market, a project in partnership with the City of New Brunswick, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and Johnson & Johnson, now has a bigger presence than ever with three locations throughout the city, each opening on a different day during the week. All three locations are open from June through November and had their official grand opening the week of June 14, 2015. The farmers market brings fresh, local and healthy food directly to the residents of New Brunswick and supports the city’s mission to give them access to nutritious food on a consistent basis while also supporting local farms. “We are so encouraged to see our community embrace the farmers market and have direct access to local, health food options. It is programs like this […]
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July 9, 2015
Since 1985, America has celebrated July as the nation’s official Parks and Recreation Month. Created by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Park and Recreation Month specifically highlights the vital and powerful role local parks and recreation play in health and wellness, and social equity efforts in communities all across the country. In celebration of Parks and Recreation Month, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids is encouraging everyone to get out and experience the power of parks and recreation. “July is the perfect time to highlight all the benefits parks and recreation provides right here in New Jersey,” said Darrin Anderson, deputy director, NJPHK. “Our local parks and recreation directly contributes to reduced obesity rates and an improved ecosystem.” NJPHK is leading initiatives and providing opportunities for families to achieve healthier lifestyles by renovating parks and playgrounds in Camden, Newark, New Brunswick, Trenton, Vineland, as well as providing support […]
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July 9, 2015
Learns How Corner Stores Can Help Families Make Healthy Food Choices Touring Newark’s Lucky Fox market on May 5, State Senator Ron Rice saw firsthand how the Healthy Corner Store Initiative helps merchants to profitably stock, sell and bring healthy, affordable food options to residents. “Senator Rice is aware of the issues with the food desert environment in Newark. He was glad to see that stores are tackling the problem,” said Courtney Price, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark (NJPHK-N) project manager who accompanied the Senator on his visit, along with representatives from the American Heart Association and The Food Trust. Lucky Fox Market (164 Irvine Turner Boulevard, Newark Central Ward) is one of four corner stores in Newark that have signed on to the Healthy Corner Store Initiative. The New Jersey Healthy Corner Store Initiative is a statewide program focused on increasing the availability and sale of healthy, affordable […]
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July 9, 2015
The Greenwood Avenue Farmers Market, located at 427 Greenwood Avenue, celebrated its grand opening on Monday, June 15, with great fanfare as more than 100 people, including local and state dignitaries, supporters, partners, vendors, health service providers and residents of Trenton came out for an afternoon and evening of food, fun and health-related activities. “The Greenwood Avenue Farmers Market is another great milestone for NJPHK and the city of Trenton,” said Marissa Davis, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids project manager. “Nearly half of Trenton’s youth between ages 3 to 18 are either overweight or obese and providing easy access to healthy foods, health services, physical activities, food tastings and education is critical to making a positive difference in their health and well-being, now and in the future.” The farmers market will open every Monday, from June 15 to October 26, 2015 from 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Each Monday […]
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May 13, 2015
Originally published in The Press of Atlantic City, Thomas Barlas-Staff Writer The baskets of apples, oranges and bananas are in plain sight for customers entering the Downtown Grocery and Deli on Wood Street. The location is perfect for enticing store customers to buy a healthy piece of fruit instead of an unhealthy snack, said Sara Paciocco, of the city’s Health Department. “It’s more available now that it’s in the open,” Paciocco said, adding she hopes more of the city’s mom-and-pop stores make the same kind of change. The Downtown Grocery and Deli is one of five local groceries participating in the New Jersey Healthy Corner Store Initiative. The program urges those stores to sell more fruit, fresh vegetables and other products lower in salt, sodium and fat. Officials with various health-related organizations visited the store Wednesday to help launch the program, which is also operating in Camden, Trenton, Newark and […]
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May 3, 2015
Since New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Camden (NJPHK-C) became a presence in the Camden community, significant progress has been made in the partnership’s efforts to focus on policy and environmental change to reverse the rate of childhood obesity: Camden schools and several faith-based service organizations have implemented wellness policies that guide food preparation and opportunities for physical activity. The school district has earned the recognition “Breakfast in the Classroom Champion” by being among the 20 New Jersey districts with the highest percent of eligible students eating breakfast. City parks in several neighborhoods have been reclaimed and refurbished by the residents and are now again sites for outdoor play. More corner stores now offer healthy food choices. These achievements are a tribute to the NJPHK-C coalition: Campbell Soup Company, the Food Trust, United Way of Greater Philadelphia & Southern NJ, and the YMCA of Burlington & Camden Counties. Together, these organizations […]
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May 3, 2015
This May, Newark is celebrating National Fitness Month in a big way with the introduction of CATCH in the city’s nine public preschools. CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) is an evidence-based, coordinated school health program designed to promote physical activity, healthy food choices and the prevention of tobacco use in children. Newark’s nine preschools will join the 8,500 CATCH schools and after-school organizations across America that are teaching children that eating healthy and being physically active every day can be fun. Dr. Marguerite Leuze, Health Services Director, Newark Public Schools has long been an advocate of CATCH. She brought the idea of piloting CATCH in four Newark preschools to New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark (NJPHK-N). She and Courtney Price, NJPHK-N Project Manager, took the concept to Samantha Lott-Velez, Interim Director, Office of Early Childhood, Newark Public Schools. Lott-Velez bought in immediately but envisioned all nine preschools benefiting from […]
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May 3, 2015
This spring, the Joyce Kilmer Middle School, is implementing A Comprehensive Approach to School Wellness. The approach will include environmental changes, such as the creation of a wellness room (complete with equipment), a cafeteria salad bar, expansion of the student garden, nutrition education for every student and physical fitness programming. The initiative is made possible through a generous grant from Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. Novo Nordisk, in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, saw significant opportunities to bring wellness initiatives to Trenton to target obesity. “The data from our community health improvement plan spoke volumes about the need for a wellness turnaround in the community,” said Marissa Davis, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton (NJPHK-T) project manager. “Novo Nordisk was looking for innovative, encompassing environmental changes, programming and education. They were seeking to partner and […]
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