September 4, 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
Golden Rule Lodge
NJHCN Funder: Atlantic Health System
Golden Rule Lodge No. 24 is reaping the fruits of its labor and sharing the wealth with the most vulnerable residents in Essex and Union Counties. The Golden Kitchen Food Pantry is up and running, co-hosting food distribution events and continuing to provide seniors in East Orange, Elizabeth, Irvington, Newark and Union with fresh, locally grown produce. Partners include Union Township’s Vauxhall Community Garden, Groundworks Elizabeth and more.
“The Vauxhall Community Garden continues to donate fresh vegetables to Golden Kitchen Food Pantry on the second Saturday every month, during the pandemic we have been donating fresh vegetables to Golden Kitchen Food Pantry when they have Pop Ups to meet community needs.

Resources
County Health Rankings State Report: Interactive Diagram
Source: University of Chicago
Patterns of unfair and avoidable differences in a variety of health measures exist at the local, state, and national level. The graphic below allows you to explore how health may vary for counties and among racial/ethnic groups within your state.

Grants and Funding
Sustainable Jersey for Schools Grants
Deadline: October 30, 2020
Sponsors: Sustainable Jersey
The funding supports efforts to implement projects that help participating schools make progress toward a sustainable future and gain points needed for Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification.

In recognition of the radically altered environment schools face due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the national movement for racial justice, project proposals that support teaching and learning in a virtual or hybrid environment and those that address equity and anti-bias initiatives are encouraged.

Tools and Resources
ZOOM Training
September 9 - 10 am or 4 pm ET
Host: Princeton Community Works
Learn more about facilitation and the technical aspects of running Zoom meetings.
   
The Nation's Health Series: Social Determinants of Health
Source: APHA
The conditions in which you live, learn, work and age affect your health. Social determinants such as neighborhood, education and health care can influence your lifelong well-being. Public health is repositioning itself at the national, state and local levels to focus on social determinants of health. Join us as we explore social determinants of health and how they are being targeted in our series from The Nation’s Health.
    
News and Media
Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge supports community health partners: 20 communities named in newest round
Source: APHA
APHA, the National Association of Counties and the Aetna Foundation announced that NJHCN grantee Elijah’s Promise was one of 20 organizations chosen for the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge. Each organization in the initiative will receive $100,000 to implement multi-year projects to advance health equity in their communities.

NJ Human Services Announces $40.3 million More in Additional Food Assistance
Source: Insider NJ
Many New Jerseyans who receive food assistance through the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP) will receive additional benefits in September to help address critical food needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. An additional estimated $40.3 million will be provided to about 236,000 New Jersey households for September.

What Health and Policy Experts Saw as COVID Exposed Structural Racism
Source: NJ Spotlight
NJ Spotlight and NJTV News hosted a virtual roundtable focused on the impact of structural racism under COVID-19 and strategies to improve equity as New Jersey responds to the pandemic. Speakers discussed racial disparities exposed by the outbreak, ongoing efforts to reduce gaps in health-care access and outcomes, and what else is needed to create a more equitable — and healthy — society.

Eat Local NJ Challenge
September 1-30
Host: NJ Food Democracy Collaborative
Share your photos, video and stories on social media.
10th Annual Jersey Fresh Farm to School Week
September 21-25
Host: New Jersey Department of Agriculture
Share your photos, video and stories on social media.
Training, Collaborations and Networking
Coping in Tough Times: Strategies to Help Nonprofits Navigate Turbulent Waters
September 9, 16, 23, 30
Host: Center for Non-Profits
Four-part webinar series (90 minutes each session) by experts who will discuss trends, strategies and tactics non-profits can consider when times are tight. Explore topics such as the current landscape, financial uncertainty, organizational design, governance, HR issues, sustaining your non-profit's work culture, employee morale, marketing and fundraising.

Working With the Media
September 17 - 2 pm ET
Host: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
RWJF’s Joe Marx hosts a panel discussion with Jordan ReeseJohn Siniff and Adam Zimmerman who share their extensive experience in newsrooms and in advancing public policy. They will take about case studies and offer guidance on how to work with journalists to create important, compelling content aimed at helping communities heal with resilience. The speakers will answer your questions in the latter half of the program.