Public policy

Washington, D.C., Schools Provide Nutritious Meals After School

tschwantes — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:32:59 -0600

During the school year, lower-income students in the District of Columbia have long had access to free and reduced-price meals through the federally funded National School Lunch Program, as well as the School Breakfast Program. Children also have had access to federally funded snacks in afterschool programs. But community leaders recognized that breakfast, lunch and a small snack were often not enough. With so many parents working long hours and struggling to afford enough food for their families, D.C. children could benefit from a meal after school as well.

HKHC Personal Profile: Samina Raja (Buffalo, NY)

mdessauer — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:14:21 -0600

Samina Raja has been there. She knows. Some speak theoretically about food justice and health. Samina brings personal experience and cultural relevance to the conversation. “When my daughter and I moved to the United States, I was on a limited budget and always thinking about how I was going to provide for us.” A friend connected her to a community garden, which helped, but still she struggled. “I know what it feels like to be a poor person, what it feels like to scrimp. As a parent, I shouldn’t have to think about how many busses I have to take to get to the grocery store.

Active Living By Design Advocacy Resource Guide

vconti — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:40:47 -0500

Watsonville and Pajaro Valley, CA

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:57:51 -0600

The city of Watsonville and the surrounding Pajaro Valley would seem to have an abundance of advantages for healthy eating and active living. In their southern corner of Santa Cruz County, not far from Monterey Bay, acres of fields growing strawberries, lettuce and artichokes punctuate the miles of open space.

Yet these crops and resources often remain tantalizingly out of reach for the area’s 47,000 residents, many of them Latino migrant farm workers with little educational achievement, limited English, low wages and high rates of seasonal unemployment.

San Felipe Pueblo, NM

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:48:51 -0600

Nestled halfway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, 3,200 people live as a sovereign nation in the Pueblo of San Felipe (Katishtya). Theirs is a historic tribe, first recognized by the federal government in the mid-19th century but with traditions that date back more than 400 hundred years. Yet theirs is also a challenged community, as pertains to the health of their children and the resources available to help youth eat nutritious foods and be physically active.

Omaha, NE

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:22:51 -0600

With more than 500,000 residents, Omaha easily claims the title of Nebraska’s largest city. During a growth spurt in the 1950s, its middle class left the older eastern end of the city for the developing suburbs to the west. A diverse, largely lower-income population filled the void. Today, this section of Omaha remains has a median household income that is about half that of households in the rest of the city and surrounding Douglas County.

New Orleans, LA

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:21:46 -0600

When Hurricane Katrina unleashed its fury along the Gulf Coast in August 2005, Americans watched in horror as the levees protecting New Orleans gave way and devastating floodwaters rushed in. Hundreds of people died; entire neighborhoods were submerged. More than four years later, The Big Easy is still recovering—minus nearly 200,000 residents who evacuated and never returned.

Multnomah County/Portland, OR

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:19:20 -0600

From its position in northwest Oregon, Portland might be one of the most mapped cities in the country.

Not in the traditional cartography sense, but through GIS (geographic information system) mapping. In recent years such tracking has detailed the full landscape of Portland’s built environment, from fast food outlets, grocery stores and farmers markets to park entrances, walking routes to schools and transit infrastructure.

Milwaukee, WI

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:17:21 -0600

In the late 19th century it was the settlement movement, pioneered by social reformers to alleviate conditions in poor urban areas. It took hold in Milwaukee in 1896, when the city’s first “settlement house” opened its doors to assist newly arrived European immigrants.

Now, in the early 21st century, a similar movement is afoot, and Milwaukee is turning to eight centers that uphold its historic settlement legacy and hoping they will help solve a modern-day ill.

Milledgeville, GA

rosalie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:15:39 -0600

From 1804 to 1868, Milledgeville proudly served as Georgia’s capital, and many remnants of that era, such as the Old Governor’s Mansion, can still be seen today. Far less grand, however, are some of the signs of modern times—a community divided by major state highways, rising unemployment and deteriorating neighborhoods.