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July 17, 2020
As your partner in building healthy communities, NJHCN curates the most useful and current resources to help you and your organization build capacity, raise funds, network and learn.

All resources will also be posted on our  website   for ongoing reference. Please forward to colleagues, partners and friends who may benefit from this information.  Subscribe .

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Grantee Spotlight
Elijah's Promise
NJHCN Funder: New Jersey Department of Health
Elijah’s Promise continues to provide emergency support through food and other essentials to residents of New Brunswick and surrounding communities. Maximizing resources, they mobilized staff and volunteers to keep their soup kitchen running, established a delivery protocol for residents who do not have access to transportation, hired culinary school graduates to help prepare canned foods and worked with local farmers market vendors to help supplement the meals they serve (averaging to about 650-700 meals daily). “ While we are far from having recovered from the pandemic yet, we are fortunate to be able to continue providing employment opportunities for local food entrepreneurs and chefs while continuing to change lives with the power of food. ”

Township of Bloomfield
NJHCN Funder: Partners for Health Foundation
In response to the needs of the community, the Township of Bloomfield has been working with community stakeholders to include accessible equipment at local parks and playgrounds. “ The forum felt that a wheelchair accessible merry–go–round would be the best choice because it provides sensory input that facilitates attention and better body awareness, in addition to being a lot of fun and giving all children a typical playground experience. ”

Resources
US COVID Atlas
Source: University of Chicago
The US COVID Atlas is a visualization tool led by a University of Chicago research coalition.
In a quickly changing pandemic landscape, our tool connects COVID case data and community indicators across the United States from its beginning to today. The Atlas helps you access current, validated county-level data and spatial analysis to better understand the spread in communities and to bolster planning efforts.

Freedge Yourself: How to Start Your Community Fridge
Source: freedge.org
A toolkit that guides future hosts through the process of installing a community refrigerator.

News and Media
On Jersey City dead end street, the food is free and the reward is priceless
Source: nj.com
Community Refrigerators. There aren’t many rules. The food is free for whoever needs it, whether they are struggling financially or perhaps staying away from shopping for fear of contracting COVID-19. A small sign on the fridge says “Take what you need, leave what you can.”

Save the Date
August 6, 2020 - 2 pm
Host: NJ Department of Human Services, Division of Disability Services
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Training, Collaborations and Networking
US COVID Atlas: Exploring Data to Move to Action
July 21 - 3 pm ET
Host: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
  • Explore the features of the US COVID Atlas, including county-level COVID-19 data over time
  • Examine the County Health Rankings social and economic measures included in the Atlas, which provide a more complete picture about overall community health
  • Share tools and strategies to better understand data and find ways to take action locally
Housing Stability and Coronavirus Response
July 29 - 1 pm ET
Host: ChangeLab Solutions
Housing is vital for our health and well-being. During the COVID-19 pandemic, access to safe, stable, and affordable housing is essential, to allow individuals and families to practice social distancing and safely shelter in place during stay-at-home order s. This webinar c overs what powers localities have to enact emergency housing stability laws, how local government can work to keep people in healthy homes, and how local government can help residents navigate the imminent housing stability challenges that will take place as state protections begin to expire.

Ending the Triple Pandemic: Advancing Racial Equity by Promoting Health, Economic Opportunity and Criminal Justice Reform
July 30 - 2 pm ET
Host: Trust for America's Health, APHA, NAACP, National Collaborative for Health Equity
The briefing will discuss the disproportionate health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Black community and other communities of color, and how structural racism drives systemic inequities in health, the economy, and criminal justice. The session will also highlight policy recommendations to move the nation toward equitable opportunity and racial justice. With remarks by the Honorable Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL) and the Honorable Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).