Trenton
June 21, 2016
First Market to Provide Summer Meals for Kids With a successful launch during the summer of 2015 under its belt, the Greenwood Ave. Farmers Market is bringing locally grown produce to Trenton residents every Monday, beginning June 13 through October 24 from 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Local vendors offer visitors access to affordable, fresh, Jersey-grown fruits and vegetables and tropical fruits each week. The market also offers free health screening services for blood pressure, glaucoma, and body mass index (BMI), food demonstrations, exercise and free recipes for patrons to be able to make the healthy dishes at home. Residents using SNAP, WIC and SFMNP vouchers will also benefit from matching dollars for fruit and vegetables. This year’s opening day will be a fun community day complete with music, games and giveaways. Also, new this year, the Greenwood Ave. Farmers Market will be a USDA Summer Meal site for children […]
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June 21, 2016
To most people, Joshua Pantoja Jr. appears to be an ordinary kid. In his spare time, he plays basketball, soccer, baseball and crazy kickball. But that’s where ordinary ends and extraordinary begins. At 10 years old, this creative, talented and funny fourth grader from Hamilton, NJ, is a gourmet cook and has been honing his culinary craft since about age 8. As early as age 5, he began spending a lot of time in the kitchen with his grandmother watching and learning how to cook different recipes. Over the years, she taught him how to measure, as well as combine various Latin seasonings and flavorings. He also found himself consumed with cooking shows but was afraid to touch the stove because of his small stature. Joshua and his mother Magaly Pantoja were among the first group of families to attend the Frost Valley YMCA Healthy Family Retreat in November 2015. Located on more than 5,500 acres in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, the retreat was co-sponsored by the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids. During the weekend, Joshua learned how to make healthy apple turnovers and kale […]
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May 22, 2016
Last year, Greenwood Ave.’s first urban market gave nearly 4,000 Trenton residents access to locally grown fruits and vegetables to ignite healthier living. Not a typical farmers market, the goal of the market was to help make the healthy choice the easy choice by offering on-site free health screenings, live cooking demonstrations, lessons in nutrition and weekly physical fitness activities. Greenwood Ave.’s second market season opens every Monday beginning June 13, 2016 through October 24, from 2 – 6 PM. Each week, the market will feature Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables. Matching dollars will be provided for residents using SNAP, WIC and FMNP vouchers. Health screenings, nutrition education, cooking demonstrations and live music will also be included in the weekly activities. For the first time, the farmers market will also provide free dinner for children ages 18 and under as a part of the USDA Summer Food Service meal site […]
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May 22, 2016
A fun afternoon was had by everyone who came out to celebrate the Trenton YMCA’s Healthy Kid’s Day on April 30. Trenton’s Healthy Kids Day event was one of 23 separate events across New Jersey. Held from 10 am – 2 pm, the event provided local residents with music, games, prizes, and plenty of health-conscious vendors who shared their knowledge with the community. Trenton’s Healthy Kids Day encouraged kids to go outside and play. A passport listing all participating organizations was given to every child who came to the event. After kids filled their respective passports with stamps from each table, they received a free t-shirt. At the NJPHK-Trenton table, kids received plant seedlings with Greenwood Ave. Farmers Market stickers, promoting its June 13 opening day. Along with the passport, games and a live DJ, the event also included tours of the facilities, a rock climbing wall, circus aerialists and […]
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April 19, 2016
Trenton, NJ has been selected as a finalist for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Prize for its community health initiatives. Out of 200 communities, only 16 were selected as finalists and Trenton is the only New Jersey community to make this year’s list. With the statewide Healthy Corner Store Initiative, a first-of-its-kind healthy farmers market on Greenwood Avenue, and obesity prevention policies including Complete Streets and District Wellness, Trenton has been making great strides in moving towards making the city a healthier and more sustainable place for its residents. More importantly, NJPHK-Trenton has played an integral part in the success of these initiatives. The RWJF Culture of Health finalists have to meet six specific criteria in order to earn this distinguished status: Defining health in the broadest possible terms Committing to sustainable systems changes and policy oriented long-term solutions Cultivating a shared and deeply-held belief in the […]
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February 21, 2016
With more than 17 percent of Trenton households regularly lacking enough food to eat*, food pantries have continued to experience a huge increase in demand. The USDA defines food insecurity as a state in which “consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year. That’s why on October 30th, 19 community leaders came together as part of the Coordinated Food Pantries Project to explore opportunities to improve the food acquisition and distribution system. Members of the group included food pantry leaders from various Trenton area organizations, along with representatives from New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids – Trenton (NJPHK-Trenton) and the Trenton Healthy Food Network (THFN). “Creating a coalition of Trenton area food pantries is the first step in fully understanding the challenges around facilitating redistributions, coordinating pantry hours of operations, and ensuring that those who need it most […]
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February 21, 2016
“I feel so bad when my mom calls me fat.” That message, written by a student and left on Nurse Robbin DeMuth’s desk, was the impetus for creating a Comprehensive Approach to School Wellness grant program at Joyce Kilmer Middle School. “The note was a cry for help,” DeMuth said, “and I knew we had to do something to get and keep our kids healthy.” Shortly after receiving the note, DeMuth found an ally. Speaking at a forum for school nurses, Marissa Davis, Project Manager for New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton (NJPHK-T), encouraged the audience to “dream big, together we can turn our schools of need into schools of opportunity.” “I asked for an exercise bike,” said DeMuth. With Davis’s help and a generous grant from Novo Nordisk, the school was able to get that and so much more: a fitness room equipped with cross-trainers, elliptical machines, treadmills, and […]
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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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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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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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