Blog

  COVID-19 has changed so much in our community. We know all caregivers have been navigating challenges to keep their kids safe during the pandemic. We also know that many caregivers have had to find new and emergency forms of childcare for their babies, school-aged kids, and teens.&...

This blog was first published in June 2021 by Brookings Institute as part of their Placemaking Postcard Series and is authored by our Advocacy Manager Jenn Beideman Over the last year, the intersecting crises of COVID-19, economic insecurity, and systemic police bru...

New Funding! We’re thrilled to share that Healthi Kids has been awarded a 5 year grant through New York State called Creating Healthy Schools and Communities! This funding will let us continue to advance our work in building equitable communities and supporting healthy learning environ...

  This week, Healthi Kids staff submitted comments to the Rochester City School District (RCSD) Superintendent and School Board on where we believe stimulus dollars should be spent.  The Rochester City School District is currently seeking feedback to determine the best way to spe...

We did it! On May 11th, Rochester City Council voted to support the creation of a local Food Policy Council (FPC), making Rochester’s FPC one of the few in the country that is formally recognized and supported by legislation. As part of a long community engagement and planning process, Hea...

  Take the survey in English: student survey; parent/primary caregiver survey Take the survey in Spanish: student survey; parent/primary caregiver survey    CLICK ABOVE FOR ENGLISH VERSION                      CLIC...

(Wednesday, May 5, 2021) – Officials from the City of Rochester and the Healthi Kids Coalition were joined by teens and community members today to cut the ribbon on the newest addition to the City’s Play Walk sidewalk trail. “The Ripple” is an interactive attraction featuring...

  COVID-19 has changed so much in our community. We know all caregivers have been navigating challenges to keep their kids safe during the pandemic. We also know that many caregivers have had to find new and emergency forms of childcare for their babies, school-aged kids, and teens.&...

Last week we posted some information about Federal nutrition guidelines and the Smart Snack standards. School meals are governed by Federal, State, and local regulations. They are part of an economic system and food system that is not designed to provide kids with fresh food. School food service ope...

We know. School meals should be better.  Our first campaign 13 years ago was called "Lunch is Gross” – where RCSD students in a 4th grade classroom headed to the School Board and demanded changes. Those kids were successful. They solidified better food standards before the fede...

Over the last year, we have faced several crises due to COVID-19, and the ongoing and systemic acts of police brutality on Black and Brown residents in our community. The current reality for families in our community has changed dramatically from loss of jobs and homes, to losing any semblance o...

The last several months have indeed brought countless challenges for us all. However, they have also opened the door for many new opportunities for Healthi Kids’ work. A light has been shed on the importance of, and need for whole child health in our community, and our team has certainly b...

Did you know that fresh air is healthy - even in the winter? Outdoor play in the colder months is fun, benefits the social-emotional and physical development in kids, boosts the immune system and promotes wellness overall.  #PLAYROCSATHOME was introduced last May to remind families about...

COVID-19 has changed so much in our community. We know all caregivers have been navigating challenges to keep their kids safe during the pandemic. We also know that many caregivers have had to find new and emergency forms of childcare for their babies, school-aged kids, and teens. Community...

This summer, Common Ground Health, Foodlink, and the City of Rochester, received a two-year grant from the Healthiest Cities and Counties Challenge (HCCC). These funds will be used for community outreach and planning for a Rochester Food Policy Council. In August 2020, the partners joined with r...

Common Ground Health, Foodlink and the City of Rochester have been selected to receive a $100,000 grant as part of the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge. Common Ground Health’s Healthi Kids Initiative is working with Foodlink and the City of Rochester to implement the City...

ROCHESTER – As the COVID-19 public health crisis continues to limit food access and keeps children away from their traditional summer programs, the Summer Meals Partnership of Rochester is taking a new and innovative approach to ensure that all children 18 and younger have access to nutrit...

Common Ground Health, the African American and Latino health coalitions and the Healthi Kids Coalition stand with Black residents and other partners in acknowledging that racism is a public health crisis. We are heartbroken by recent examples of police brutality and high COVID-19 deaths among Bl...

Healthi Kids partnered with The City’s Department of Recreation & Youth Services (DRYS) to promote the power of play. On Monday, May 4, team members from Healthi Kids and DRYS met at the Rochester Community Sports Complex Stadium and assembled 900 free play kits that kids can use at home.&...

  Healthi Kids acknowledges the challenges that families are facing due to the recent COVID-19 news. Since schools are closed and a lot of kids are home with their parents, we understand the importance of creating daily routines that incorporate learning, physical activity, and social-em...

                     All Pro Dad breakfast at #43 school Fatherhood engagement has a significant influence on children. More engaged fathers can positively affect a child’s healthy physical, emotional and social development. Researc...

Healthi Kids is happy to celebrate City Council’s adoption of the Rochester 2034 Comprehensive Plan. The decision was made on November 12, 2019 and the new plan will replace the city’s previous comprehensive plan, which was completed in 1999. A comprehensive plan is a vision for the...

ROC the Future, a member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network, has been selected to lead a playground project with KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit that works to ensure every kid and all communities have equitable access to quality, imaginative playspaces. ROC the Future, in partners...

Photo courtesy of the City of Rochester Communications Bureau Want to get from the Strong Museum of Play to the Central Library or take in the gorgeous vistas of the Genesee River Downtown? You could drive. Or, you could play your way there! Mayor Lovely A. Warren was joined by youth and comm...

A dream decades in the making was realized this weekend when North Clinton Avenue was infused with the flavor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the “Complete Streets Makeover.” On Sept. 29, volunteers transformed a busy section of North Clinton Avenue, or “La Avenida&rdq...

iStock.com/AlexRaths Healthi Kids has spoken out in opposition to the administration’s proposed changes to SNAP. The new rule will ultimately increase food insecurity which will harm whole child health. The changes will also make it more costly for states to run their SNAP programs.&nbs...

iStock.com/AlexRaths Would you go hungry so that your children had food? It’s a question more local families could be facing soon. In Monroe County, over 100,000 people rely on SNAP (aka food stamps or EBT) to afford food each month. Many of these individuals are the children of work...

Photo courtesy of the City of Rochester Communications Bureau Community members are applauding the grand opening of the Community Story Walk at Ryan, an interactive and visual literary journey of play, to the Thomas P. Ryan R-Center and Sully Branch Library. “I am so proud to live in...

Local residents have stepped up to install more than 300 lawn signs as part of the drive2Bbetter campaign, which aims to make our community’s roads safer for all users. The signs remind drivers of three simple driving habits to protect road users: slow, scan and space. Slowing down, scanni...

Healthi Kids was excited to read the draft Rochester 2034 Comprehensive Plan, which will set the city's strategic vision and goals for the future. This important plan will affect kids and families across our city. Learn more.