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Good deeds, good times, good causes

February 10, 2014

Originally published in Burlington County Times It’s been a season of good deeds, honors and accomplishments. In the month that includes Valentine’s Day, here are some heartwarming reports of kudos-worthy neighbors and causes.Maybe we don’t think enough about architecture, but we should not forget that it’s all around us, and is a key part of our everyday life, according to someone who clearly recognizes that. Kimberly Bunn of Moorestown, owner and principal of Bunn Architecture, is the recently installed president elect of the New Jersey chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA-NJ). The local organization, which was founded in 1900, is now comprised of 2000 members in six regional sections. For a total of 22 years, in two separate stints, Sister M. Elizabeth Corry served as president of Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. The award established in her honor is regarded as a most prestigious one, and this […]

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Vineland employee honored for work

January 23, 2014

Originally published in TheDailyJournal.com Emma Lopez, co-director of New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids, was recognized as the Vineland Healthy Kids Champion during the partnership’s Building Healthy Communities Conference.She was recognized for her leadership in implementing Vineland’s first bike lanes. Lopez is a health educator who works in public health education, program planning, implementation and evaluation for the city of Vineland. She is committed to environmental policy and system change that promote wellness and healthier lifestyles for communities. Emma Lopez, co-director of New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids, was recognized as the Vineland Healthy Kids Champion during the partnership’s Building Healthy Communities Conference. She was recognized for her leadership in implementing Vineland’s first bike lanes. Lopez is a health educator who works in public health education, program planning, implementation and evaluation for the city of Vineland. She is committed to environmental policy and system change that promote wellness and healthier […]

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NJ Jumps to 37th Nationally for School Breakfast

January 22, 2014

Originally released by Advocates for Children of New Jersey Contact: Nancy Parello, (973) 643-3876, (908) 399-6031(cell), nparello@acnj.org After being nearly last in the nation for years, New Jersey jumped to 37th place for serving more children from low-income families a healthy breakfast at the start of their school day, according to a national report released today. Last year, New Jersey ranked 46th. The Food Research and Action Center said that New Jersey served 45.4 percent of low-income children for every 100 who participated in school lunch in the 2012-13 school year, compared to 41 percent the  year before and 38 percent in 2010-11. New Jersey was one of only 10 states that saw a more than 5 percent increase in participation from the previous year. This achievement is the result of a growing number of schools serving breakfast in the first few minutes of the school day, instead of the […]

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Camden County Nutrition Advocate, Robin Waddell, MPH, Receives New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids Champion Award

December 9, 2013

Originally published in The Collingswood Patch Camden County Nutrition Advocate, Robin Waddell, MPH, Receives New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids Champion Award Award recognizes significant contributions in the area of childhood obesity preventionNew Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK), a program of the Robert  Wood Johnson Foundation, presented its first “Healthy Kids Champion” award to Robin Waddell, MPH, of Delanco during  its Building Healthy  Communities Conference on December 4, 2013 at the Pines Manor in Edison, NJ. The award acknowledges Robin Waddell, MPH, County  Extension Department Head, Senior Program Coordinator of nutrition  education program in Camden County and the Southwest Regional Supervisor for Rutgers Cooperative Extension, for her outstanding support of the  organization’s mission to design and implement childhood obesity  prevention strategies that support access to affordable healthy foods  and increases opportunities for safe physical activity; and for her  outstanding efforts in advocating the implementation of breakfast in the classroom […]

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Bodegas, corner stores in Trenton pledge to stock more healthy food

November 2, 2013

Originally posted in the Times of Trenton There’s a big weight problem facing the city’s children today, but local officials and organizations believe the answer might be just around the corner — literally. Bodegas and corner stores across Trenton’s North Ward officially joined the fight against childhood obesity in the city yesterday, pledging their shelf space to more healthy foods like fruits, salads and yogurts in hopes of delivering better options to the families — and especially the children — who rely on the stores for quick, easy access to food. Organized by the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids, the program, part of the Trenton Healthy Food Network, officially kicked off yesterday in front of Monchy’s Deli on North Clinton Avenue. Already selling a number of healthy products for several weeks now, the store’s owner, Ramon Gomez, can barely keep the nutritious stuff in stock, he said. “The kids […]

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Green Team “Completes” Another Win

October 23, 2013

Originally Published on impacttrenton.org The Complete Street Summit at Rutgers took place on October 21st, with a new category of awards called the Complete Streets Champion, modeled off of the incredible efforts of the Trenton Green Team.  The Green Team was one of two recipients of this award at Monday’s Summit. “Complete Streets” is a concept that requires making streets safer and more accommodating to road users of all ages and abilities, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and public transportation users.  It requires collaboration between planners, engineers, public officials, transportation-related organizations and residents. The Trenton Green Team has been working for the past few years to develop a “Complete Streets” policy in Trenton.  Through efforts of the Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton, Trenton Cycling Revolution, Isles, Concerned Pastors and Ministers of Trenton, the City Planning Department, supportive members of City Council & more, the policy was adopted in 2012. Several months later, the adoption of Trenton’s “Complete […]

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Ciclovia event opens the streets of New Brunswick to encourage active living

October 6, 2013

Originally posted on nj.com The City of New Brunswick, along with community and collaboration partners held its first Ciclovia for the citizens of its city.  Thousands of New Brunswick residents were encouraged to come out on Sunday, October 6th for the free event that took over 3.4 miles of streets with adults and children engaging in leisurely walking, jogging, skating, and dancing.  Designed to encourage enjoyment of Downtown New Brunswick, the Ciclovia route exposed participants to many of the city’s attractions, parks and local businesses. It also encouraged people to engage with one another through a variety of activities, including dance, yoga and Zumba classes. Ciclovia is a Spanish word that means “bike way” and is described as a designated bike route or an event that opens the streets for use by pedestrians and cyclists.  Ciclovia began in Bogota, Colombia in 1976, as a way to promote community engagement in […]

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Effort to combat obesity gets Camden children outside more, eating better

September 6, 2013

Originally published in Courier Post On a recent gorgeous afternoon, about 20 minutes before school let out, YMCA program director LaShaunda Carter pulled up to Northgate Park in Camden. She was greeted, as usual, by adults engaged in what some euphemistically call “negative activity.” Now, a month into the YMCA’s parks program, the regulars know that when Carter and her staff arrive, it’s time to clear out so neighborhood kids can clamber on the park’s new playground equipment and race to the freshly paved basketball court. “Somebody said, ‘It’s not 3 o’clock yet,’ and I said, ‘That’s why you can still stay here,’ ” Carter said with a chuckle. “At 3 o’clock … they all just left.” Since the summer of 2011, a well-organized infusion of money and programs like this one have tried to reverse Camden’s soaring childhood obesity rate. It’s a complex problem. Tackling it has required a […]

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Opinion: NJ students perform better in school when they avoid junk food

August 21, 2013

Originally published in The Times of Trenton on NJ.com Tough economic times often result in shrinking school budgets, which has led many schools to introduce or continue selling high-salt, high-sugar and high-caloric foods (i.e. junk food) and sugar-sweetened beverages in vending machines, school stores and in the cafeteria in order to increase or maintain food-service revenue. Sadly, these unhealthy products in our state’s schools are part of a higher, long-term cost: childhood obesity and poor health. When schools sell unhealthy snacks and drinks, studies prove that students eat fewer fruits and vegetables, drink less milk at lunch and consume more calories and saturated fat over the course of the day. It is clear that what goes in (junk) is what comes out. A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics concludes sugar-sweetened beverages can lead to behavioral issues in children, including increased levels of aggression, withdrawal and decreased attention span. […]

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Letter: Making headway against childhood obesity

August 17, 2013

Originally published in The South Jersey Times on NJ.com To the Editor: Last week the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reported signs of significant progress in reversing the childhood obesity epidemic. Specifically, between 2008 and 2011, 18 states showed decreases in obesity rates for low-income preschoolers. Among these states, New Jersey recorded the second largest decrease. These are the children who have been at the highest risk for obesity and whose families have had the most limited chances to make healthy choices. It is a testament to all the work being done, by local groups like ours and national organizations like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, headquartered right here in New Jersey, to promote healthier lifestyles for children. Since 2009, the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids has spearheaded efforts in building and strengthening childhood obesity prevention strategies that support access to affordable healthy foods and increase opportunities […]

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