Recent Stories
April 2, 2013
Thanks to a Healthy Snacks grant from the Department of Community Affairs, children participating in an after-school tutoring program at Monument Elementary are enjoying nutritious treats. The students also are serving as “researchers” to help NJPHK-Trenton document children’s taste preferences when it comes to healthy snack foods. Shannon O’Connor, AmeriCorps member serving as network assistant for NJPHK-Trenton, researched a wide variety of healthy snacks suitable for distribution at Monument and compiled nutrition information about each. After snacks are provided to the students, Monument staff ask them which they like and dislike. O’Connor collects that information, and as a result, NJPHK-Trenton has a comprehensive list of healthy snacks that children prefer. The list is available to schools, parents and care givers, and other interested parties and includes: Ocean Spray Craisins Dole Diced Pears in 100% fruit juice Dole Diced Peaches in 100% fruit juice Kashi Soft-Baked Cereal Bars (Ripe Strawberry) Kashi […]
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April 2, 2013
When Valeria Galarza learned about the Project Manager position at NJPHK-Camden, she felt it could have been created for her. It was the opportunity she had been hoping for, allowing her to combine her background in community and public health with her interest in public policy and work with the community of her adopted hometown of Camden, where her husband Eddie grew up. She joined NJPHK-Camden in October 2010 and jumped into the work with unbounded enthusiasm. The chance to change policy in her community is Galarza’s passion. “Policy is the foundation for change,” Galarza said. “Many major accomplishments can be traced back to a policy.” One of the biggest challenges we face in reversing the childhood obesity epidemic, is that many of our policies stand in the way of healthier choices—kids don’t have safe places to walk, bike, or play outside and it’s often cheaper and more convenient for […]
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March 9, 2013
Originally published in Press of Atlantic City Local officials are planning a few projects aimed at getting city residents living in New Jersey’s least healthy county up and moving to improve their physical conditions. One part of the plan involves creating two miles of downtown bike lanes that will run on Wood and Elmer streets between East and West avenues. The other is a monthly fun and fitness event held in the downtown Landis Avenue business district on the first Friday of most spring and summer months. The evening events would close a block of Landis Avenue for families to participate in a series of yet-to-be-developed events. A goal of both projects is to improve local and Cumberland County health indicators that Emma Lopez, health educator for the city’s health department, called “horrible.” One of the biggest problems is obesity, she said. While improving personal health is the main goal, […]
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March 8, 2013
Headlined by Michelle Obama and Eli Manning, the Partnership for a Healthier America’s Building a Healthier Future Summit provided the opportunity to engage with leaders and activists dedicated to reversing the childhood obesity epidemic. NJPHK staff member were among the more than 1,000 leaders from public, private, and non-profit organizations who attended the Summit in Washington, DC from March 6-8. Here’s what inspired them most: Among the many subjects explored at the Summit, forging a strong partnership with for-profit organizations and transforming physical activity deserts into areas for play were two priorities that resonated with Darrin Anderson, NJPHK deputy director. “In New Jersey, we are fortunate to have strong corporate partners like Campbell Soup and Johnson & Johnson,” Anderson said. “When businesses take a leadership role in implementing healthy strategies, our communities benefit and the impact is far reaching.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Parks and […]
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March 7, 2013
Lisa’s focus on childhood obesity began in 2007 as a manager for the “STEPS for Kids” program funded through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. STEPS targeted students, aged 8-12, who were overweight. The children and their families participated together during the 12-week course. Through STEPS Lisa met a 12-year-old boy that the school nurse had referred to the program. While measuring the young man’s waist during pre-testing, she realized that her 60-inch tape measure wasn’t going to be long enough, as his waist was 62 inches. After measuring, he looked at her and asked, “Can you help me?” She immediately responded, “Yes,” without knowing how she was going to do so. What she did know was that it was a much bigger problem than one class could solve. “At that moment I knew I had to change my delivery and fitness philosophy assisting families going through this challenge,” said Scheetz, […]
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February 28, 2013
Originally mentioned on CBS Philly Valeria Galarza, NJPHK-Camden project manager, has been recognized by the Campbell Soup Foundation for her leadership in building a healthy community for Camden residents. The Campbell Healthy Communities Award was presented to Galarza in recognition of the significant contributions she has made on behalf of NJPHK-Camden to improving the lives of Camden residents. Galarza was one of three community leaders honored at the Foundation’s award breakfast attended by over 100 leaders of non-profit community organizations on February 28. “The award recognizes the strides our NJPHK-Camden partners have made in building a healthy environment in Camden,” Galarza said. “I am so fortunate to work with a committed group of community leaders who share a clear vision of a healthy future in Camden.” Galarza joined NJPHK-Camden in October 2010.Through her leadership, NJPHK-Camden and its partners have worked together to impact areas such as the adoption of comprehensive […]
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February 23, 2013
Darrin Anderson, PhD, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids’ (NJPHK) deputy director, Fatimah Williams Castro, PhD, program manager for NJPHK-New Brunswick and several others, represented the Partnership at the annual NJ Bike & Walk Summit. The event was sponsored by the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition (NJBWC) and held February 23 in New Brunswick, in collaboration with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center. The NJBWC is a state-wide advocacy group that promotes safe and accessible opportunities for bicyclists and walkers, who face an increasing threat from distracted drivers, as well as a shortage of streets that are adequately designed or signed for biking and walking. The Summit’s more than 20 panel sessions covered a myriad of issues focused on making New Jersey’s roadways safe for cyclists, pedestrians and all users – a goal that meshes well with the Partnership’s aim of improving the built environment in communities across the […]
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February 21, 2013
Dr. Fatimah Williams Castro received a Johnson & Johnson Community Service Achievement Award during the 35th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Observance. Held on February 21 at the company’s New Brunswick headquarters, the event was hosted by J&J’s “Helping Our Neighbors with Our Resources (H.O.N.O.R.) Employee Resource Group. Nearly 300 employees, residents and local community partners attended the event and enjoyed special presentations, entertainment and refreshments. The Community Service Achievement Award was presented by J&J’s Director of Corporate Contributions Bonnie Petrauskas who also serves on the steering committee for the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-New Brunswick (NJPHK) and is a member of the NJPHK State Advisory Council. The award recognized Williams Castro’s commitment and leadership in bringing together New Brunswick community leaders to focus on childhood obesity prevention. Through Williams Castro’s leadership, NJPHK-New Brunswick and its partners worked together to expand the Greater Brunswick Charter School’s breakfast […]
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February 20, 2013
NJPHK-Newark is supporting Newark health care providers as they introduce “Let’s Move! in the Clinic,” a healthy lifestyle toolkit designed to help health care providers talk with patients and families about setting small, achievable nutrition and physical activity goals. Five health care providers have signed on to introduce the toolkit. On February 20, 13 participants attended the Let’s Move! in the Clinic training, which was sponsored by the New Jersey Pediatric Council on Research and Education (NJPCORE) through the American Academy of Pediatrics,. The training session was lead by Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, NKPHK-Newark co-director and director of General Pediatrics at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. The peer-to-peer training provided a discussion forum for physicians and medical staff to learn and share ideas. Participants discussed the importance of education to invoke behavior change, the link between breastfeeding and obesity prevention, and how well visits become opportunities to discuss body mass index […]
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January 31, 2013
Growing up in Detroit, Courtney Price saw the impact poor healthcare can have on children’s lives. She decided at an early age that she wanted to “do something” to help children and their families get the health resources and services they need. “I wanted children to see that someone who looks like them was there to help them,” Price says. After graduating from Howard University, she worked for a clinical research organization to learn the fundamentals of conducting research. She then applied to graduate school at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey to pursue a master’s degree in public health. That brought her to Newark. Attending graduate school in the evening, Price first worked for Head Start as a health manager, responsible for ensuring children were receiving the proper immunizations, physicals, and oral screenings. She also provided support to pre-natal mothers and their families. She joined NJPHK-Newark […]
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