July 2025

July 2025 Newsletter 

Free meals for Rochester children now available through Summer Meals

Summer is in full swing. And so is the Summer Meals program. That means free breakfasts and lunches are available to City of Rochester children 18 years and younger at sites across the city.

The Summer Meals Partnership of Rochester links kids with healthy meals. The partnership is a collaboration with the Healthi Kids Coalition, the City of Rochester, RCSD, Foodlink, the Food Policy Council, and other community partners and providers.

Parents can visit SummerMealsROC.org or call 2-1-1 to find meal sites. Summer meals are available through August 29. Learn more.

“Farming While Black” film and mental  health discussion drew a crowd

More than 150 people attended a screening of “Farming While Black: Reclaiming Land and Agricultural Heritage,” July 10 at the Little Theatre. A panel discussion on “Cultivating Wellness: Mental Health Support Through Farming and Gardening” followed.

The film featured Black farmers reclaiming land ownership and reconnecting with their ancestral roots. Panelists Melanie Funchess, Koi Mendez and Katie Nuber and facilitator Dr. Celia McIntosh spoke about farming as therapy and food justice.

“We deserve access to quality foods to improve our lives,” Mendez said.

The Rochester Food Policy Council and Rochester Black Nurses Association presented the screening. See more.

Four more Infant Toddler Play Days planned for Wayne County

Wayne County Community Schools staff and Healthi Kids are partnering to provide Infant Toddler Play Days at the Family Fun Fridays community events.

Infant Toddler Play Day is a Healthi Kids’ initiative to support parents and caregivers of young children. Caregivers learn about the importance of play in building meaningful, responsive relationships with infants and toddlers.

Upcoming play dates in Wayne County are:

• July 25 at 10 a.m.: Family Fun Friday, B. Forman Park in Williamson
• August 1 at 10 a.m.: Family Fun Friday, Pal-Mac Primary School in Palmyra
• August 13 in the evening: Countywide play day, multiple locations throughout the county

Join us for the third annual Playful Learning Summit on Aug. 20

The third annual Playful Learning Summit will celebrate the power of play and movement in learning. Participants will explore how joyful, creative environments support children’s growth, achievement, and well-being.

The event is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Avenue in Rochester. The Playful Learning Summit is a hub for educators, parents, and community partners to explore the transformative power of playful education.

Dr. Deonna Smith, author of “Rooted in Joy: Creating a Classroom Culture of Equity, Belonging, and Care,” is the keynote speaker.

Register today.

Resources to support caregivers of infants and toddlers are available online

The graphics above are examples of resources available through Healthi Kids’ Love from the Start campaign. The campaign supports caregivers in nurturing children's mental health during the all-important first five years.

Caregivers can support a child’s mental health through serve and return interactions. These back-and-forth exchanges promote social-emotional health and healthy brain development. Examples include smiling when a baby smiles at you, naming a toy when they hand it to you, and reacting to your toddler’s curiosity.

Learn more about this and other campaign resources.

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Share your feedback on new Ryan Center playground designs

Healthi Kids is thrilled to be working with KABOOM! to rebuild the Ryan Center's Playground. Earlier this month we held an input session at the Center to hear from the community about what they want. We have two preliminary designs to share with you and get your feedback for! Click here for a brief survey to cast your vote for which design you like best and why! Save the date for our community build day on Oct. 3.

Side view of option 2

Healthi Kids joins rally for school recess legislation

Healthi Kids May 20 joined New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), education leaders, lawmakers, parents, and students at the New York State Capitol to advocate for legislation to make recess a daily priority in schools. The event highlighted the power of unstructured play.

The advocacy event focused on support for a bill sponsored by Sen. James Skoufis (Senate Bill S8076A) calling for a statewide study of recess practices in grades K–6. The goal is to identify gaps and disparities in recess time and ensure all students have access to meaningful daily play. View the bill.

This year’s Complete Streets Makeover took place on May 31 at Avenue D and Hollenbeck Street. This event aimed to help make this intersection safer for pedestrians. View photos from the event.

Early Learning Center installs a garden

Kudos to the Greece Community Early Learning Center for installing a raised-bed garden for students to use in learning. Students at the learning center cut the ribbon June 13 following a Flag Day ceremony. Food grown in the garden will be served at the school. Healthi Schools Coordinator Hailey Cox will provide nutrition and gardening resources for students.

The garden is already producing strawberries, lettuce and tomatoes, among other items. This work was supported in part by the NYS Department of Health Creating Healthy Schools and Communities grant.

See more here.

New mural painted outside the Phillis Wheatley Library in Rochester

With deliberate brushstrokes, 11-year-old Abdiasis Abdi applied blue paint to the sidewalk outside the Phillis Wheatley Community Library Saturday, June 21. Abdi was following artist Chloe Smith’s lead. She was guiding volunteers in painting a new Story Walk to replace a faded and chipped library mural.

This was the first time he had the chance to paint this sidewalk, he said with pride.

The project was coordinated by Healthi Kids and funded in part by the NYS Department of Health Creating Healthy Schools and Communities grant, the Rochester Public Library and ESL Charitable Foundations.

Read more.

In the headlines

Public invited to a design workshop for a new playground in the Beechwood neighborhood - WXXI News - July 11

Summer Meals Partnership of Rochester offering free summer meals to kids - News 10NBC - July 11

How a makeover turned a Rochester intersection into something safer and prettier - Rochester Democrat & Chronicle -  June 12 - Related: WXXI News, News 10 NBC, 13 WHAM, WROC-TV

International Day of Play celebrated with free community events in Rochester - 13 WHAM - June 11

Connections: The right to recess - WXXI News - May 23