Neighborhood Leadership Institute has partnered with a coalition of community groups and the American Heart Association to ensure that Cleveland kids have healthier options at local restaurants. The Cleveland Healthy Kids’ Meals Campaign is seeking a City Council ordinance that make kids’ meals at Cleveland restaurants healthier by ensuring that water, milk and/or 100% juice are offered as default drinks, not sugary drinks that pose a health risk to our kids.   Evidence demonstrates that fast-food marketing disproportionately affects low-income, black, and Hispanic youth, who are also at greater risk for chronic disease due to diet.

VERANDA RODGERS

Veranda Rodgers is the Founder and Executive Director of Pregnant with Possibilities Resource Center (PPRC). She holds an MBA and also works as a nonprofit consultant and adjunct faculty member at Cuyahoga Community College. Veranda is a Class 33 graduate of Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland, and like many NLC alumni, her commitment to the community is unparalleled.

Pregnant at 16 is the story that could have stopped her destiny, but instead she broke barriers to make a brighter future for herself. Her personal mission is to teach, motivate and inspire others to give birth to their possibilities. She has been featured in The Cleveland Women’s Journal, Who’s Who in Cleveland, WKYC News Channel 3 Rising and WZAK’s Future Black History Makers. She has also spoken at Cause Camp, Empowering Women, PowerHERful Youth Summit w/ Solidad O’Brian, and Black Diamonds. Her passion for excellence and advancement in everything from business practices to helping others discover their passions makes her an asset to the individuals that she serves.

Through her leadership at Pregnant with Possibilities, the organization remains dedicated to teen pregnancy prevention and positive birth outcomes among pregnant women. In 2019, PPRC partnered with NLI’s Healthy Communities initiative to help navigate pregnant women to services to minimize mortality risk. “COVID-19 has altered our world and made basic tasks difficult. PPRC partnered with NLI to bring hope to families in need of essential baby items. To date, 200 families have been served,” Veranda shared. “As a graduate of Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland, I gained knowledge and skills that have helped me navigate the nonprofit sector, while building a network of change agents. The most valuable part of the program was learning about the rich history of each neighborhood, while creating resources to make things better.”

Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland (NLC) Class 36 is back on track and pushing towards graduation. Class participants have completed multiple post-COVID zoom sessions and are currently preparing for virtual neighborhood tours. A virtual NLC Graduation is set for July 9th. .

Additionally, regularly scheduled NLC Alumni Zoom Network Meetings are now in place. This alumni "gathering" will take place on the fourth Friday of each month. Stay tuned for invites and meeting links. For questions, please contact MIchelle Broome at [email protected].

Save the Date! The 44128 & 44137 One Community groups will have a zoom meeting on

Tuesday, July 14, (time TBD) . We will work to determine activities for our two chosen priorities - Community Education & Strengthening Families. 

We are working hard to increase the number of program participants, alumni, and community partners that are connecting with us electronically. Please contact any NLI staff member with new contact information and be sure to access NLI online using the social media links in the section below.