May 2022

May 2022 Newsletter 

Racism is a public health crisis. At Healthi Kids we have known this for over a decade. That’s why at the beginning of 2021, Healthi Kids launched a project with our coalition members to conduct a racial health equity impact analysis of our advocacy agenda.

We had five goals:

1.     Unpack how our current advocacy agenda addresses racial health equity.

2.     Address any bias that may be found in our agenda.

3.     Better understand how our policy goals and proposed solutions impact Black and Latino families in our region.

4.     Identify any gaps that may be found in our current agenda.

5.     Amend our language and messaging to address racial health equity with more intentionality.

To learn more, please read this blog post.

Action Alert: Tell Senator Schumer to Protect Summer Meals
School is almost out and summer is just around the corner. Unfortunately for families across the city, access to summer meals is becoming much more difficult. That’s why we need you to reach out to Senator Schumer to demand they extend summer meals waivers for child nutrition programs today! Please visit the Healthi Kids blog to learn how you can help make sure no local child goes hungry this summer.    

As part of the report “Investing in Infrastructure for Healthy Communities,” the Regional Plan Association highlighted the Rochester Inner Loop project and our work reframing infrastructure through the lens of health equity in its new report. Our very own Mike Bulger, healthy communities coordinator at Common Ground Health, contributed to this necessary conversation on infrastructure and health equity.

The authors of the report added, “When community members are informed and take ownership of projects happening in their neighborhoods, they can help inform and educate others. Ultimately, this builds a foundation of trust and communication that is essential to the strength and longevity of any infrastructure project, as well as being a foundation of health equity.”

Read more about investing in infrastructure for healthy communities here.

In March, the American Public Health Association (APHA) released its third Healthiest Cities and Counties Challenge (HCCC) Highlights Report and a community snapshot of the work Foodlink, the City of Rochester and Common Ground Health have done to establish the Food Policy Council. The report recognized our resident leaders for helping to increase access to healthy foods: “Rochester’s Food Policy Council has officially taken off, thanks to the five resident leaders who joined the food policy council planning team and assisted with the selection process... Together, this has allowed resident leaders and members of the council to step into leadership roles, and has increased momentum in addressing food insecurity within Rochester.”

Both reports are on the APHA website. Our local project team is featured on page 7 of the Highlights Report and our project team’s community snapshot is featured here.

Orange and Orchard Street intersection gets a “Complete Street Makeover” to improve safety and access for community
School #17 families, residents of the JOSANA neighborhood, and a team of community partners joined together on Saturday, May 14, to transform the intersection of Orange Street and Orchard Street as part of the Complete Streets Makeover project. It was a fun-filled day, complete with music and food, as volunteers worked alongside street architects to paint the pavement and install temporary traffic calming features.

 School 17 is located right at this intersection, and the school community has been actively involved in reimagining the space to be safer for the kids and families that walk to school. 

We will publish a recap of the event in the next edition of Healthi Headlines, including photos. To read our press release announcing the event, click here.

Sweet Ida Mae's Food Pantry is now offering free breakfast for kids Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturday at 10:00 AM. A huge THANK YOU to Healthi Kids partners Devon Reynolds and Cherriese Bufis, who hosted their grand opening on April 4th. The Healthi Kids Coalition is donating refrigeration units, shelving and other materials to help increase access to healthy food. Sweet Ida Mae's is located at 1274 Dewey Avenue and is open daily from 10 AM -3 PM. For more information call (585) 230-3703.

On Friday, June 3^rd, Healthi Kids staff members Erick Stephens and Stephanie David will be sharing Healthi Kids’ infant and early childhood mental health work at the New York State Association for Infant Mental Health’s statewide conference, Celebrating Relationships. The conference will bring together folks from across the state working with and on behalf of children birth – age 6 and their caregivers. Register for the conference here. For more information, email Stephanie at stephanie.david@commongroundhealth.org.

Related news stories

Local health officials and advocates weigh in on possible menthol ban—News 10 NBC, April 28

Building a food system that serves all—Rochester Beacon, April 28

Street makeover projects continue to improve Rochester's safety—13 WHAM, May 14; Related: WXXI Connections

CDC: High Schoolers faced mental health threats in 2021—WROC-TV, April 6

Common Ground Health CEO talks about the need to improve health equity in the Rochester-Finger Lakes area—In Good Health, May 17