Get involved with Unite 4 Healthy Neighborhoods!
October 26, 2011
Inspiring and empowering Columbia residents to make healthy choices is the goal of the Unite for Healthy Neighborhoods (U4HN). This PedNet lead project brings together community leaders, citizens, and advocates all focused on creating a healthy environment for children.
You can get involved too! Choose one the six action teams below and help Columbia become a healthy place for all children.
Six action teams:
- Food Asset Mapping Action Team
- Food Production at Home and in the Community Action Team
- Accessible and Affordable Local Produce Action Team
- Neighborhood Revitalization Action Team
- Public Transportation Expansion Action Team
- Youth Voices 4 Advocacy Action Team
The Food Asset Mapping Action Team has conducted the following activities: gathering information regarding the food system, researching Food Policy Council feasibility, and conducted food price assessments. They will have a comprehensive report completed by April 2012. They are currently conducting Community Food Assessment Survey. This is part of a comprehensive plan to analyze the complex food system in Columbia and the surrounding areas. The plan will focus on the processing, production, distribution, consumption and recycling of food.
The group meets on the second Thursday of each Month at 11:30am – 1:00pm at the Health Department – 1005 West Worley Street. The action team is led by Karl Skala former City Councilperson and Retired University of Missouri)
The Food Production at Home and in the Community Action Team has successfully turned a previously “unusable” parcel of land that sits adjacent to the Health Department into a flourishing community garden which currently has over 25 plots for First Ward residents and health department employees. Mike Burden reports over 70% of the plots yielded a harvest. Their success is built on strong collaborations/partnerships such as entering into a “joint use agreement” with The City of Columbia Public Works, Health Department, University of Missouri Extension, PedNet, Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture and others; erecting a shed on the property by partnering with Job Point (underserved young adult men and women who attend GED classes while learning Construction Trade skills) University of Missouri Extension, Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture and others.
The group meets on the second Wednesday of each Month at 5:00pm- 6:00pm at the Health Department – 1005 West Worley Street. The team is co-led by Adam Saunders (Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture) and Maureen Coy (Columbia/Boone County Health Department and Human Services.
The Accessible and Affordable Local Produce Action Team currently has 55 families enrolled in the AHF (Access to Healthy Foods) program. A partnership between Sustainable Farmers and Communities, Columbia’s Farmers Market, PedNet, Columbia/Boone County Health Department and Human Services (WIC) (Women and Infant Children Program), Columbia Housing Authority and many others run a double value redemption program that enables WIC eligible families to swipe up to $25 on their EBT (Electronic Benefits Card) and receive up to $50 in Columbia Farmers Market tokens to be used at the market. Several vendors have contributed additional savings and incentives to support and encourage underserved families to shop at the Farmers Market. Hannah Simms and Priya Sinha (MPH students and coordinators of the AHF program) have created a logic model and evaluation plan to build upon the success and create sustainability of the program.
The group meets on the second Friday of each month at 7:30 – 9:00am at the Health Department – 1005 West Worley Street. The action team is co-led by Dan Kuebler (Sustainable Farms and Communities and Lynelle Phillips (University of Missouri – MPH field coordinator and Board of Health).
The Neighborhood Revitalization Action Team successfully created a new Neighborhood Association (Worley Street Park Neighborhood Association) and reinvigorated a lapsed neighborhood association (Douglass Park Neighborhood Association). They partnered with the City of Columbia’s ONS (Office of Neighborhood Services) department to hold the Columbia’s first Neighborhood Congress.
The events purpose was to bring together Neighborhood Association leaders, City of Columbia elected officials and underserved residents to discuss issues based on Ward to brainstorm and come up with an action plan to encourage residents throughout the city to become engaged in the political process.
The group meets on the third Thursday of each month at 4:30 – 5:30pm at the Daniel Boone Public Library – 100 West Broadway Street. The team is co-led by Verna Laboy (PedNet community engagement coordinator) and Bill Cantin (City of Columbia Office of Neighborhood Service).
The Public Transportation Expansion Action Team set out to address the health, economic and environmental impact of Public Transportation. (CoMET) Columbian’s for Modern Efficient Transit was launched on March 3, 2011. It’s vision: A Modern, efficient transit system will enrich the lives and support the successes of all individuals, organizations, and business in Columbia, by providing a reliable, convenient transportation service that promotes health, opportunity, and sustainability. The goal is to triple the ridership within Columbia’s transit within the next three years.
During the summer of 2011, The City of Columbia announced proposed cuts to transit service that included eliminating half fare eligibility based on income, cuttings some routes, and eliminating Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening service. CoMET launched a “Ride for Transit” advocacy campaign to encourage the city not to proceed with the proposed change but rather identify ways to conserve existing service and eligibility at their current level. The campaign was a success. The City Council voted unanimously to keep all eligible categories the same, all weekend and evening service was salvaged except the very last route in the evening and more importantly, the Mayor created a Transit System Task Force which consist of the following member organizations: Public Transportation Commission; Heavy Student Representation; University and College Administration; City Of Columbia Administration; Elected officials and PedNet.
The CoMET group meets on the third Thursday of each month at 5:00 – 6:30pm at the Health Department – 1005 West Worley. The action team is co-led by Carmen Williams (Pastor, Russell Chapel CME Church) and Matt Kriete.
The Youth Voices 4 Advocacy Action Team participated in a fifteen session program developed by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Fifteen youths, ages thirteen to eighteen, graduated from the program in June 2011. They presented a photovoice project to the following organizations: Columbia City Council, Columbia Board of Education, Columbia Board of Health, YC2 and to Mercer County students who traveled to Columbia as part of a leadership development training hosted by Ann Cohen of the University of Missouri Extension. The group continues to meet on a monthly basis to discuss ways that they can effectively advocate for active living and healthy eating and advocate for changes in the social, political and environment changes in our community that affect childhood obesity. They are finalizing plans to have their photovoice projects displayed at Rockbridge High School and Hickman High Schools. The student led action team is currently working on getting an adapted version of the “empower4change” program in both high schools. Shivangi Singh is spearheading the efforts at Rockbridge High School. Recently she published an advertisement in “The Rock” – Rockbridge’s Student newspaper. Nakita Cade, Shaniece Brown and Gabrielle Wills are leading the effort at Hickman High school to establish the empowerme4change program as a after school program.
The group meets on the first Monday of each Month at 5:30 – 6:30pm at the Chamber of Commerce Building – 300 S Providence Road. The action team is co-led by Shannon Robinson (Urban Empowerment Ministries) and Sarah Brandt (University of Missouri Graduate Student).
Unite 4 Healthy Neighborhoods is part of the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities (HKHC) program. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, HKHC is a national program focused on creating healthier communities through policy advocacy.
