Vineland
May 22, 2016
Wellness has been on the forefront in Vineland public schools since the Board adopted a wellness policy in 2014. Now the District has created a District Wellness Team to support the individual schools and to filter information within the district about wellness best practices and opportunities for funding. Chelsea Welch, field representative for the Vineland Department of Health, is working with the Team. She got involved when she saw that funding opportunities from Sustainable Jersey and other sources were not getting the necessary traction because the District lacked a central “clearing house” to review opportunities and get the word out to the various schools. “The District team brings 17 diverse representatives together to consider the opportunities for grant funding, generate ideas for grants and help to focus and push funding applications forward,” Welch explained. “The goal is to consolidate efforts and focus on grants and programs that are best for […]
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April 19, 2016
From April 9 through May 19, Vineland residents are being urged to “HOP ON” and enjoy a series of family friendly activities at their local parks. It’s the second annual Park Hop, sponsored by Live Healthy Vineland, Vineland Health Department General Mills, Inspera Medical Center and the Cumberland Cape County YMCA. Park Hop will build on last’s year’s success and be better than ever thanks to lessons learned about promotion and organization and a team of college interns ready to apply them. “Park Hop 2015 was a new venture and like all new things, some aspects worked well and others needed some tweaking,” said David Calderetti, project manager for New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Vineland and Live Healthy Vineland. Three learnings concerned timing, organization and promotion. This year, Park Hop takes place in the spring instead of summer. “Spring events should get residents in the habit of using the parks […]
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February 21, 2016
With 25 Vineland corner stores participating in the Healthy Corner Store initiative, the effort is expanding throughout the three-county area served by the Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA. Four stores in Millville have signed on to sell and promote more healthy food choices, as have two stores in Bridgeton. In Atlantic City, seven stores are committed. Stores participating in Healthy Corner Stores benefit from consultation from The Food Trust and Live Healthy Vineland/New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Vineland (NJPHK-V). “We advise the store owners on effective ways to display and promote healthy foods,” said David Calderetti, NJPHK-V project manager. The promotion may include health screenings and consumer education too. “We also help owners apply for grants for freezers when they become available.” In Atlantic City, NJPHK-V partners with AtlantiCare Health Systems and Rutgers SNAP-Ed. They hope to host a health fair in a local school this spring complete with health screenings […]
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February 20, 2016
Discontinued sidewalks, poor sight lines, non-ADA compliant curb ramps, lack of bicycle facilities and speeding traffic are just some of the hazards that children can face as they try to walk or bike to school. Live Healthy Vineland, an extension of the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Vineland (NJPHK-V), the Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA and the Vineland Health Department are working with the Vineland Engineering Department and Cross Country Connection TMA to identify such infrastructure flaws in the built environment surrounding Vineland schools. Pinpointing these hazards is an important step in preparing a school travel plan and applying for funding to make walking and biking safer activities. A Safe Routes to School Travel Plan identifies flaws in the existing built environment that inhibit safe bicycling and walking to and from school. Remedies are prescribed, such as the installment of traffic calming devices, construction of sidewalks and bike lanes, or the […]
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November 10, 2015
Nearly 27 percent (26.9%) of New Jersey residents are obese according to a recent analysis by The Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. That obesity percentage places New Jersey 41st out of 51 states and the District of Columbia. New Jerseyans are in slightly better shape than residents of Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York where the obesity rankings are 17th, 20th and 39th respectively. The bad news is that the obesity rate in all four states is trending upward compared to 2010. The fact that over one in four NJ residents is obese is reflected in the rate of disease associated with obesity. The study shows that New Jersey ranks 28th in rate of diabetes (9.7%) and 30th in hypertension with a rate of 31.1 percent. Lisa Scheetz, Director of Operations and Chief Operating Officer of the Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA is optimistic because of efforts […]
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November 10, 2015
Four years ago, Robert Dickinson smoked too much, ate too much and rarely exercised. In his words, he’d been a “rolly polly” kid whose weight continued to climb in his adult years. He managed to kick cigarettes on Valentine’s Day in 2011—his first day without a cigarette since he was 15. Two months later, his wife was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and she would die that November. Caring for his wife while holding down a demanding job, Dickinson had no time to think about what he was eating—he grabbed fast food or opened a can, whatever was easiest and most accessible. His weight climbed to 286 pounds. Last year, Dickinson was promoted to Health Officer for the Vineland Department of Health. The new position prompted him to take stock. He wanted to set an example for the community, but thought, “Who would take an obese health officer preaching obesity […]
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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 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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September 9, 2015
Fifty Vineland children will have more confidence facing the water thanks to free swimming lessons sponsored by the Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA. David Calderetti, project manager for NJPHK-V underscored the importance of learning to swim with a few sobering facts: Drowning is the number 2 cause of accidental deaths among children ages one to 14. Two children die every day as a result of drowning. Eight percent of kids who drown do so under adult supervision; usually safety is just 10 feet away. Calderetti stresses that learning to swim is especially important for city children who don’t grow up with backyard pools or swim club memberships. “Kids who are not exposed to water may not fear it. They’re apt to just jump in. Once they hit the water they panic because they don’t know what to do.” Recognizing the importance of teaching swimming and water safety, the Cumberland Cape Atlantic […]
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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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