One in six children in Illinois rely on SNAP for their next meal. Families that use SNAP don't always have the means to afford fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables, but SNAP Match programs at farmers markets can change that. They double the purchasing power of low-income families to buy fresh, local produce at farmers markets while putting more federal SNAP dollars into the pockets of family farmers.

Help support more SNAP Match programs across the state by asking your legislators to co-sponsor HB 2520- a $500,000 appropriation to the Healthy Local Food Incentives Fund.

A $500,000 appropriation for the Healthy Local Food Incentives Fund was included in Governor Pritzker's proposed budget for fiscal year 2022. The appropriation would double the amount that SNAP participants have available to spend on healthy foods at farmers markets and other direct producer-to-consumer venues in Illinois. However, now is the time to ensure our legislators include this appropriation in the final state budget.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need to address nutrition security, highlighting the long-standing inequities in health outcomes for communities of color and low-income communities, as well as the need to invest in a local, adaptable, and diversified food supply chain. It is more critical than ever that Illinois invests in its local farmers and increases access to healthy foods for low-income communities.

The recent publication of the 2021 Illinois Register includes long-anticipated proposed rule changes for The Department of Child and Family Services' (DCFS) administration of childcare centers in Illinois under Rules 406, 407 and 408. The rule changes include revisions to nutrition and physical activity guidance for childcare centers. The complete rule changes, listed below, can be viewed here.

Rule 406: Licensing Standards for Day Care Homes (page 4976)

Rule 407: Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers (page 5057)

Rule 408: Licensing Standards for Group Day Care Homes (page 5156)

CLOCC may update the network with future actions around the proposed rules. If your organization is vested in daily care and support of children and families, you are urged to review the rules and provide feedback to the State. Per the register, comments on the proposed rules may be submitted in writing for a period of 45 days following publication (Deadline: Monday, June 7).

Comments should be submitted to:

I am a Research Coordinator at CLOCC. My work in evaluation helps partners to develop and implement programing that will help to reduce the impact that obesity has on the children of Chicago.

The most exciting part about working with CLOCC is that I get to be a part of the positive changes that are happening with the youth in Chicago. I get to see them and their families living healthier lifestyles.

When I’m not working you can find me hanging out with my two children.

During the pandemic I have really focused on family and spending quality time with those that I love. Doing this has kept me positive and optimistic during this very challenging time.

Food Equity Policy Lead, Chicago Food Equity Council

Chicago’s Food Equity Council is seeking to add a Food Equity Policy Lead to our team. This role will work heavily with Greater Chicago Food Depository and the Mayor’s Office. Additionally, the position will sit at both the Mayor’s Office and our Greater Chicago Food Depository offices in Archer Heights. The Food Equity Policy Lead will drive collaboration between the City of Chicago, the Food Depository, and other members of the City’s Food Equity Council to advance policy innovations and programmatic efficiencies to create a more equitable, resilient and just food system.

Through cross-sector collaboration and advocacy, this role seeks to promote a food system that emphasizes health, equity, food security, and the environment. Although the Food Depository will be the fiscal agent and sponsor for this role, the position will operate as a member of the Mayor’s Office Policy team. The position will report jointly to the Food Depository and the Mayor’s office and will spend time in the offices of both organizations. Learn more or apply here.

Nutrition Center Manager, La Casa Norte

La Casa Norte’s mission is to serve youth and families confronting homelessness. We provide access to stable housing and deliver comprehensive services that act as a catalyst to transform lives and communities. In 2019, La Casa Norte (LCN) expanded its work on food, nutrition, and community hunger with the opening of a Nutrition Center in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. La Casa Norte’s Nutrition Center includes a client-choice Fresh Market food pantry, a Community Café Hot Meal Program, and a demonstration kitchen space to be utilized for nutrition and health education. These programs serve individuals and families of all backgrounds in the greater Humboldt Park community.

This is a full-time position, Monday- Friday with some evening and weekend availability required. Learn more or apply here.

See this job and many more from La Casa Norte on CLOCC's job opportunities page.

Program Manager, Beyond Hunger

Beyond Hunger is harnessing the power of communities to end hunger. An award-winning direct service agency (formerly Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry), we serve residents of 13 zip codes on the West Side of Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Last year we provided critical food assistance and programming to over 40,000 individuals. Our energetic and fulfilling work environment is resourced by an operating budget of $3 million, 9 full-time staff members, 6 part-time staff, 4 full-time AmeriCorps members, over 1300 active volunteers—and possibly you. The Program Manager will support Beyond Hunger’s mission to end local hunger by managing four programs targeting food insecurity among seniors, children, and adults with disabilities. Specific programs include Social Services, Nutrition Education, Summer Meals, and Home Delivery. The program manager will lead the team through strategic decision-making and prioritization, racial equity awareness and action, and planned sustainability. Learn more or apply here.

Bookkeeper, Healthy Schools Campaign

Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC), a national nonprofit organization based in Chicago, is seeking a part-time bookkeeper to help further its mission of making schools healthier places for all children. HSC has an annual operating budget of $1.9 million with 17 staff.

The bookkeeper will provide bookkeeping and accounting functions including but not limited to processing payroll bi-weekly, financial record keeping, and transactions including A/P, A/R, monthly billing, and general ledger. The bookkeeper will report to the Staff Accountant. Learn more or apply here.

Garden Network Assistant, Garfield Park Community Council

The Garfield Park Community Council (GPCC) is seeking a Garden Network Assistant. This will be a contractual temporary employment opportunity through February 2022.

GPCC’s Community Wellness Initiative, which prioritizes improving health outcomes and

bringing health resources to families on Chicago’s West Side, with a focus on food security and green space improvements. The wellness programming includes supporting community gardeners with the Garden Network, sharing and selling gardener’s harvested produce through the Garfield Park Neighborhood Market at The Hatchery. Additionally, GPCC works with local partners to develop a new community fruit orchard and improve health outcomes specifically along the Madison and Pulaski corridors.

GPCC is an eight-year old community-based organization dedicated to the revitalization of the Garfield Park neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. Learn more or apply here.

We Will Chicago is a three-year citywide planning initiative led by the City of Chicago that prioritizes equity, resiliency, and engagement to create a new, inclusive vision for the city. At this month’s virtual kickoff conversation, residents can learn about the We Will pre-planning work conducted this winter, as well as next steps in creating the first citywide planning document in more than 50 years.

Location: Online Event, April 29, 2021

In coordination with the approaching Bike to School day on May 5, 2021, this webinar will highlight the importance of active travel to school, and a current Safe Routes to School (SRTS) initiative that seeks to improve child health by creating safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children to bicycle or walk to and from school through transportation projects centered around schools. The 2016 ​City of Austin Mobility Bond included $27.5 million allocated for large-scale, transformative SRTS infrastructure projects such as ​new sidewalks, protected bike lanes, pedestrian islands, shared use paths, and pedestrian hybrid beacons. This initiative is one of the largest and most rigorously implemented SRTS built environment programs in a metropolitan area in the U.S. The UTHealth STREETS Study is evaluating the child health effects from these transformative infrastructure changes. Stakeholders from the City of Austin and the STREETS Study will present implementation and evaluation methods and preliminary data.

Location: Online Event, April 29, 2021

Join CSPI for a webinar on the National Salt and Sugar Reduction Initiative’s (NSSRI) newly-released voluntary sugar reduction targets. The NSSRI is a national partnership of organizations and health authorities convened by the NYC Health Department. The initiative sets voluntary reduction targets for sugar and salt and engages food and beverage companies to commit to meeting these standards.

In this webinar, Andrea Sharkey, MPH of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will lead a discussion covering the following:

Location: Online Event, May 4, 2021

Join the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) on Tuesday, May 11th from Noon – 1:00 PM to get a snapshot of the region’s pedestrian environment and hear from organizations who are actively working to make Chicagoland more accessible for all. In addition to highlighting some of the region’s change-agents, this event will also share new research on how local governments can take concrete steps to improve walkability within their communities.

Location: Online Event, May 11, 2021

Connect with CLOCC's network of nearly 3,000 childhood obesity prevention advocates by listing your organization's upcoming events or current job openings on the Consortium's website. Upon submission, postings will be approved by CLOCC staff; events and careers applicable to the CLOCC network may also be featured in this newsletter. If you have questions or are not able to access the webpage, contact info@clocc.net. CLOCC will not publish for-profit services or events, or products for sale.

Video Presentation: Arrested Mobility,

The League of American Bicyclists as shared a keynote presentation from the 2021 National Bike Summit by thought leader and researcher Charles T. Brown, MPA, CPD. “Arrested Mobility: Exploring the Impacts of Over-policing BIPOC Mobility in the US" highlights the social, political, economic, and health impacts of racial disparities in transportation and examines the ways in which approaches to transportation research, planning, policy, and design can and must be reimagined to achieve greater mobility, health, and quality of life for all road users.

Health Equity Scholars for Action: Many researchers from historically underrepresented backgrounds, who wish to investigate root causes of and solutions to health disparities, face challenges of insufficient funding and barriers to attaining tenure. Without mentors at their institutions who understand their lived experiences and supportive professional networks to help identify and offer guidance in pursuing opportunities, underrepresented researchers face many obstacles to academic career advancement. A guiding principle of RWJF is that “we seek bold and lasting change rooted in the best available evidence, analysis, and science, openly debated.” Health Equity Scholars for Action (HES4A) is designed to enhance the supports, resources, and community necessary for participants to thrive professionally and personally, and in turn, be better able to contribute to and expand health equity-related research and evidence that can help build a Culture of Health. Learn more or apply here. Applicant webinar is May 4.