Moment of the Month

August 2021 Moment of the Month: Celebrating State & Federal Investments in Nutrition Incentives Partners and Community Leaders Commemorate Funding Secured for Healthy Foods, Families, and Futures  Highlights from the Press Event at the Warren Farmers Market on 08/31/2021 “It always seems impossible until it’s done”— Nelson Mandella There’s always a model, a map, or a method to find, follow, and finesse to overcome, overtake, or out-maneuver all obstacles, large and small. For the Healthy Community Partnership, we’ve built our Roadmap for Change and Bold Goals from raw materials provided by Collective Impact, Policy, Systems, [...]

HCP-MV Moment of the Month: Victory at the Finish Line  Funding Secured for Healthy Foods, Families, and Futures in Ohio Budget What We Won in the Ohio Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Budget Cycle for the Partnership's Focus Areas All advocacy  victories should be cherished and celebrated | Image by  Pietro Rampazzo Active Transportation $70 million annually for public transportation Parks and Greenspaces $1.5 million for brownfield remediation |commercial and residential demolition, revitalization efforts Healthy Food Retail $500,000 annually for Produce Perks nutrition incentives Removal of the following harmful policies targeting families receiving SNAP benefits: Requiring change reporting [...]

HCP-MV Moment of the Month: Turning the Tassel Student Researchers Complete Capstone Projects “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela In order to achieve the Healthy Community Partnership’s ambitious, Bold Goals and mission to improve health, wellbeing, and health equity in the Mahoning Valley, the following items must be included in the mix:  New, fresh perspectives, data, and leadership Time and other hard to come by resources So, whenever the Healthy Community Partnership is asked if we would want to work with  students who are curious and care [...]

HCP-MV Moment of the Month: Progress & Produce Led by Healthy Food Access Coordinators, Mahoning Valley Community Store Initiative Marks More Milestones Food access, more so the lack of it, has been an all too familiar talking point, tension point, and point of contention in the Mahoning Valley for some time. As has been shared in previous stories (Putting Food Access Resources on the Map & Collab-blog: Collaboration in a Time of Crisis—Thinking Inside the Box), the pandemic underscored and highlighted barriers that exist between healthy food and families.  While the barriers to food access are many and [...]

HCP-MV Moment of the Month: Three Cheers for Transit Ohio Passes 2022-2023 Transportation Budget with Restored Resources for Public Transit A scene from Schoolhouse Rocks! "I'm Just a Bill."ABC Advocacy journeys do not always, or even often, lead to happily-ever-afters or victorious celebrations. There are countless advocacy stories that end in heartache, heartbreak, and mourning. Much like the story told by "Bill" in the beginning of Schoolhouse Rocks! edutainional favorite, "I'm Just a Bill."  Fortunately, the tale of the 2022-2023 Ohio Transportation Budget wrapped up with a heartwarming, celebratory happy ending, at least for now. The [...]

HCP-MV Moment of the Month: Building a Healthy Budget Prioritizing Policies that Put People First Jim Wallis speaks at U.S. Capitol vigil on March 29. Photo by JP Keenan / Sojourners In 2017, Sojourners founder, Jim Wallis, wrote a piece titled “Truth that Bears Repeating: A Budget Is a Moral Document” in response to the cruel budget proposals introduced by the then newly minted Trump administration that suggested shifting billions of dollars from critical anti-poverty and social support programs to military/defense initiatives, specifically the bombastic border wall. A dramatic shifting of resources away from those programs [...]

HCP-MV Moment of the Month: Leading by Leaning in & Lifting up The Healthy Community Partnership Is 1 of 14 Collaboratives Accepted into National Leadership Program—National Leadership Academy for Public Health The Healthy Community Partnership was created because we know we can do more when we come together than we can if we stay separated. Challenges to living a long, healthy, fulfilling lives are more complicated, complex, and continuous than any one person or organization can hope to tackle. Carrying forward into the new year the most important takeaway from last year—the strength and power we have when [...]

Trumbull County Partners Transforming Convenience Stores to Community Stores HCP-MV Partners Bring Resources, Partners, and Healthy Foods to Trumbull County Convenience Stores Corner Stores. Convenience Stores. Bodegas. Mom and Pops. Everybody’s seen them, probably even stopped in to grab a soda, a sweet treat, or a scratch off. Though there is likely one within a short distance of your home or office. But, though these small stores have a wide variety of offerings, they’re not usually associated with much of anything healthy. Hopefully that is beginning to change as more convenience stores transition into community stores throughout the [...]

Active Transportation Goes Off Road and Online HCP-MV Partners Find New Avenues to Engage Residents in Active Transportation Activities September is always a month of transitions. Summer’s bright lemon-yellows darken to become the well-known mature golden, mustard hues of autumn. Planting season becomes harvest season, a time to enjoy the fruits—and veggies— of our labors. Days grow shorter, shadows longer, mornings crisper, and evenings chiller. Perfect for a walk, hike, or ride. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many significant disruptions to our routines. Many of those disruptions have brought about additional challenges to our health and wellbeing. [...]