January 2026

January 2026 Newsletter 

Healthi Kids kicks off 2026 with a focus on healthy food access

As we start the new year, Healthi Kids remains committed to ensuring kids have access to healthy food and nutritious meals. In 2025, we were proud to support six R-Centers—Adams Street, Avenue D, Edgerton, Jackson, and Ryan—in bringing the Healthy Indoor Bill of Rights to life. With funding and support, these centers were able to purchase restaurant-grade cooking equipment, making it easier to prepare homemade, wholesome meals for kids, like these two Jackson Junior Chefs are doing in the Jackson R-Center's kitchen.

Learn more about what's on our plate for 2026!

More playgrounds are coming!

We had a blast building the new playground at the Ryan R‑Center last October. We hope you and your family have had even more fun playing on it! Through our partnership with KABOOM! and their 25 in 5 initiative, we’re working with neighbors to create more great places to play and build community in the process. In the meantime, the City of Rochester is finishing several playgrounds that will be ready this year.

Watch us build the Ryan R-Center playground in 30 seconds and learn more about the City's efforts.

Level Up Read & Play Day is coming!

On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, schools within the Rochester City School District (RCSD) will celebrate Level Up Read & Play Day—a day dedicated to the joy of reading and the power of play! This special event combines two global celebrations—World Read Aloud Day and Global School Play Day—and Healthi Kids is excited to partner with RCSD Literary Task Force to make it unforgettable.

Learn more about our plans.

Healthi Kids joins statewide webinar on summer nutrition collaboration

Summer meals aren’t just about food—they’re about equity, access, and creating positive experiences for families. That's why Healthi Kids was thrilled to be included in a recent webinar focused on how regional collaboratives are working to ensure kids have access to healthy meals during the summer months—a critical time when school meals aren’t available.

Learn more about about statewide nutrition efforts.