Trenton
October 10, 2013
New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton (NJPHK-Trenton) has partnered with four neighborhood stores to bring residents healthier food options as part of the Trenton Healthy Food Network. Participating stores include: Andy’s Food Plus (512 Pennington Avenue), Freddy’s Deli Grocery (50 Sherman Avenue), Monchy’s Deli Grocery (200 N. Clinton Avenue), and Trenton Meat Farms (1335 Princeton Avenue). The goal of the Trenton Healthy Food Network is to increase the availability and sales of healthy, affordable food in local stores and bodegas. “More than half of Trenton children are overweight or obese” said Marissa Davis, project manager of NJPHK–Trenton. “Our goal is to make it easy for Trenton families to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other healthy foods.” NJPHK-Trenton provided technical assistance to help the stores create healthy food displays and develop and implement marketing plans for the new items. As part of the initiative, participating stores will offer: Merchandise […]
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September 21, 2013
On Saturday September 21, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton, in partnership with Greater Mercer Transportation Management Authority, held a bike rodeo in Trenton. Bike rodeos are clinics designed to help teach kids the importance of riding a bicycle safely and what skills and precautions they need to develop to be safe on their bicycles. Nearly 40 kids participated in the rodeo, each of whom got a bike helmet, learned how to wear helmets properly, and were taught some basic cycling and road safety skills. Volunteers from the following organizations ensured the day was successful: Trenton Cycling Revolution, the West Windsor Bicycle-Pedestrian Alliance, the Princeton Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Trenton Bike Exchange, New Jersey DOT, the Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University, New Jersey Ambassadors in Motion, and graduate students from the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers. We look forward to many more bike rodeos in […]
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August 29, 2013
On Saturday, August 10th, Trenton was all about fun and fitness as the city hosted its third annual African American Pride Fest Sports Expo. With a goal to get young people moving and focused on healthy living, the Expo, held at Trenton’s Cadwalader Park, featured games, fitness challenges, food, and sporting activities, including football, basketball, soccer, golf, tennis and boxing. Members of New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton joined in on the fun by providing exciting, engaging and informative fun for young people.. “We set up several games and fitness challenges for children to take part in throughout the day,” said Shannon O’Connor, NJPHK-Trenton. “Our goal was to make sure that the children who participated understood that a healthy lifestyle can be fun, delicious and easy for them to make a part of their daily routine.” NJPHK hosted several games at their event table, including: “Guess the Healthiest Fruits” for […]
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July 31, 2013
Originally published in The Times of Trenton on NJ.com In 2012, nearly 130 communities across the United States adopted Complete Streets policies, and Trenton’s was one of the best. Complete Streets policies help make sure everyone — regardless of age, ability, income or ethnicity, and no matter how they travel — can get around safely and conveniently. In many places that means changing how roads and sidewalks are designed and built to be “complete” streets. According to the National Complete Streets Coalition, a Washington-based organization dedicated to Complete Streets advocacy, No. 8 on the list of Top 10 policies for 2012 was Trenton’s resolution of last March. Complete streets are particularly important in Trenton, where 30 percent of households do not have access to an automobile, according to the Census Bureau. More than a year after approving a strong policy, Trenton struggles to fully realize the potential on our streets. […]
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June 1, 2013
Volunteers from four Trenton churches have agreed to conduct walking audits of the areas surrounding three Trenton elementary schools: Hedgepeth-Williams, Monument and Wilson. Participating churches are Shiloh Baptist, Union Baptist, Westminster Presbyterian and Living Hope. Congregants began conducting the walking audits in early June. The walkability assessment will help NJPHK-Trenton prioritize infrastructure improvements and create safe routes for school travel plans. A Healthy Community Development Grant from New Jersey Department of Health’s ShapingNJ is underwriting the initiative. Marissa Davis, NJPHK-Trenton project manager, is excited by the enthusiasm of the churches and their members. “We hope to build on these initial efforts,” Davis says. “Following the walkability audits, each church will be asked to consider adopting a wellness policy and promote healthy living among congregants. We want to keep the momentum going.” SHARE:
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April 27, 2013
A rising sun, children at play and heaps of healthy fruits and vegetables are the striking images in an outdoor mural at Monument Elementary School completed on April 27. The mural, designed and executed by local artist Jonathan Conner (aka Lank) with the assistance of artist Willie Condry, Jr. (aka Kasso) and community members, is the crowning achievement of a year-long wellness transformation at the school. The school’s Wellness Council, which has been overseeing and supporting efforts to create and maintain a healthier environment for students, wanted a mural for the playground as a finale to the environmental changes and improvements that have taken place at Monument Elementary. “The school has healthy choices in the cafeteria, KABOOM! playground equipment, a running track and designated areas for basketball, soccer, street hockey and hopscotch. The mural is the culmination of the work and vision emphasizing wellness,” explains Marissa Davis, NJPHK-Trenton project manager. […]
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April 25, 2013
On April 25, the Shiloh Community Development Corporation’s (CDC) “Soaring to New Heights” monthly breakfast meeting featured something new on the menu: healthy food choices. The healthy breakfast items met the nutritional guidelines recommended by the new organizational wellness policy recently adopted by the Trenton Historic Development Collaborative (THDC), a coalition focused on economic redevelopment, safety and wellness in the city of Trenton. As a THDC stakeholder organization, Shiloh CDC has agreed to incorporate healthy food and physical activity into their group activities. All other THDC organizations plan to do the same. With over 40 community organizations aligned under the THDC, the commitment to wellness can have far-reaching effects. “Modeling healthy behavior is critical in the effort to reverse trends in childhood obesity,” explains Marissa Davis, NJPHK-Trenton project manager. “With organizations on board committed to wellness, healthy choices and physical activity can become the expected norm. The THDC wellness policy […]
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April 8, 2013
The National Complete Streets Coalition, a Washington-based organization dedicated to making streets safe and accessible for all users, has recognized Trenton for having one of the best Complete Streets policies in the nation. Of nearly 130 communities across the country that submitted Complete Streets policies, Trenton ranked number eight on the list. Marissa Davis, NJPHK-Trenton project manager, knows that the Complete Streets policy will help Trentonians make physical activity a regular part of their daily lives. “We’re making it easier and to move around the city, and that’s going to make Trenton a healthier place to live, work, bike and just have fun.” Stefanie Seskin, deputy director of the National Complete Streets Coalition, said “Trenton’s policy should be a national standard; (it’s) a policy that takes a stand for everyone who uses our streets, including people young and old, whether they’re walking, driving, bicycling, riding a bus, shopping, or sightseeing.” […]
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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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December 3, 2012
When Marissa Davis drives by the new playground at Trenton’s Monument Elementary School she sees the power of community—a community that she has helped bring together as project manager for NJPHK-Trenton. “So many partners and organizations became involved and collectively made a significant impact on the community. I value the opportunity to be a part of that and finding the strings that connect us,” Davis said. As a graduate of the University of Delaware, Davis majored in Women’s Studies and Black American Studies. She worked with the Red Clay Consolidated School District, providing strategic planning and curriculum assessments for local implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. Davis joined AmeriCorps as volunteer coordinator for Habitat for Humanity, where she was successful in advancing their mission by securing a home sponsorship and cultivating thousands of volunteers. That assignment brought her back to her Trenton roots. In July 2011, Marissa Davis […]
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