July 20, 2022

Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act Introduced in Congress Today 

From the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA)

The Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act was introduced in Congress today, Wednesday, July 20, by House Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott. The legislation represents the Committee’s much-anticipated Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill, a comprehensive plan that will increase access to school meals, summer meals, and child care meals. FRAC lauded the bill's efforts to heed the calls of anti-hunger organizations from across the country to "address the rising rates of child hunger, support access to and participation in the federal child nutrition programs, and continue improving the nutritional quality of the meals served."

If passed, the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act would:

• Expand access to school meals
• Preserve the future of school meal programs
• Modernize the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• Address food insecurity during the summer
• Improve school meal capacity and sustainability
• Strengthen the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

In the News

• Universal Free School Lunch Program Is Set to Expire - The Washington Post

Over $1.5 Million Awarded by the Chicago Region Food System Fund to 48 Grantees

This week, the Chicago Region Food System Fund awarded $1.52 million to 48 grantees as part of its continuing efforts to bolster Chicago’s local food system against systemic shocks like COVID-19 and ongoing economic upheaval. Many Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago (CLOCC) partners are among the funding recipients. This round of grants prioritizes projects that further cultivate existing community assets to aid in long-term food system transformation.

Funding in this round focuses on two areas: building on the resources and capacity of individual organizations, and on strengthening partnerships between organizations and institutions across size, geography, and type that implement community-led food initiatives. With the grants announced today, the total support granted by the Fund is $11,438,150 to 156 non-profit organizations. 

CDOT Launches Program to Distribute 5,000 Free Bikes and Safety Equipment By 2026

Program open to Chicagoans age 14 and up

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) has announced the launch of Bike Chicago, a new program that will provide 5,000 free bikes, as well as maintenance and safety equipment, to Chicagoans by 2026. Supported by a $188 million investment in climate mitigation and environmental justice initiatives through the Chicago Recovery Plan, Bike Chicago will kick off this summer with at least 500 bikes distributed to age and income-eligible Chicagoans throughout the program’s first year. Over the next four years, CDOT will gradually increase distribution until 5,000 free bikes have been provided, as part of Chicago’s goal to increase affordable and climate friendly mobility options. 

Comms Crash Course: Using Social Media for Public Health Communications

This discussion will offer fundamental social media strategies and best practices to address public health communications challenges. From inclusive and accessible language to channel-specific strategies, this webinar will provide actionable tips and tactics from communications experts on digital and social media in public health. Register today to learn how public health professionals are using social media to build trust and expand their reach.

Comms Crash Course: Using Social Media for Public Health Communications

When:  Tuesday, July 26, 1:00-2:00 PM CT 

Movie in a Garden: High on the Hog, How African American Cuisine Transformed America

The Austin Eats Food Education team invites you to bring a friend, and a blanket or chair and join us for a free Movie in a Garden: High on the Hog, How African American Cuisine Transformed America. Plus: free food, chef talks, garden tours, raffles & more! Especially for those living, working, worshipping and attending school in Chicago’s Austin community. West side and Chicago-area community members are also welcome.

When: Wed, July 27th from 6:30-9:30PM (rain date July 28)

Where: Rosie’s Peace in the Valley Garden (168 N. Laramie (at Maypole), Chicago 60644)

How: Book free tickets

Who: Hosted by Austin Eats

This event is great for adults/general audiences + older children/teens; we’ll explore Black food heritage and its influence on American cuisine, community, culture, resiliency, healthy cooking & eating, and more.

Strategic Communication Specialist

Public Health Institute

The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. As one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation, we are at the forefront of research and innovations to improve the efficacy of public health statewide, nationally, and internationally. PHI is seeking a full-time Strategic Communication Specialist for one of its programs, the Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG). We are looking for a skilled candidate with a passion for social justice and a background in journalism and/or communication. Learn more here.

Associate Government Relations Manager

American Heart Association

The Associate Government Relations Manager is responsible for supporting the management of federal policy priorities as assigned, including those related to health care coverage, delivery and affordability including public health and prevention, medical research, tobacco use prevention, nutrition security, physical activity, and new and emerging policy priorities. The Associate Government Relations Manager aids the Federal Advocacy Team by drafting letters, testimony, and other advocacy materials, scheduling and/or representing AHA at meetings with congressional and agency staff and coalition partners, conducting background research, and coordinating with teams across the advocacy enterprise to develop coordinated campaigns that achieve federal advocacy goals. Learn more or apply.

UPSTREAM NEWS:

In the news this month: A free youth development program serving Black children and teens living in a low-income segregated community demonstrated positive long-term educational and financial outcomes in its alumni, according to a study published in April from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago in the journal BMC Public Health. Read more.  

• Study: Chicago Youth Development Program May Interrupt Cycle of Intergenerational Poverty - WTTW

• How Child Poverty Could Increase Without the Protections of Roe v. Wade - The Hill

• Risk of Hospitalization Tied to Food Insecurity, Social Determinants - Patient Engagement HIT

• The Generational Divide Shows in Our Food System, Too - Purdue University

• Americans Support Extending Child Support Payments to Pregnancy, Survey Finds - 19th News

• Swelling Grocery Bills Are Pummeling the Poorest – Who Spend Over a Quarter of Their Incomes on Food - The Conversation

• Racist Practices in Health Care Can Cause Medical Trauma, PTSD - Nevada Current



• Study Finds Decline in Cardiovascular Mortality Rates Over the Last 20 Years, but Racial Disparities Remain - News Medical

• Do Regulations Designed to Promote Nutrition Make WIC Food Lists Too Restrictive? - Civil Eats

• How Lifestyle Changes Can Help Kids Who Are Overweight - Cleveland Clinic

• Less Conscientiousness Links to Higher Childhood Obesity Risk - Medscape

• Are Sugary Drink Taxes Economically Beneficial for Lower-Income Communities? - New Food

• SNAP Investment: USDA Offers $5 Million Grant to Expand Online EBT Food Stamp Acceptance - Yahoo! News

• Can You Outrun a Poor Diet? - EurekAlert!

• Babies Recommended to Have Human Milk and Families Should Have More Support, Guidance Says - CNN

• How Parents Can Get Kids Exercising Again After 2 Years of Remote Learning - Healthline

• Healthy Diets out of Reach: Inflation, War, and COVID-19 Driving Malnutrition, Report Warns - Food Ingredients First



• Can Ultra-Processed Foods Affect Cognitive Performance? - Medical News Today

On June 19, the CDC recommended COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 5 years of age. Important information for COVID-19 vaccine can be found here (children) and here (all ages).

The CDC recommends Moderna or Pfizer vaccines for this age group. Both vaccines are safe and effective. Lurie Children’s Hospital will be offering Moderna to children younger than 5 years old and will continue to offer Pfizer to those age 5 years and older.

• NIH's Office of Nutrition Research (ONR) has issued the notice of special interest (NOSI) Stimulating Research to Understand and Address Hunger, Food and Nutrition Insecurity. The purpose of this NOSI is to encourage research on the efficacy of interventions that address nutrition security and the mechanisms of food insecurity on a variety of health outcomes. It also calls for the development of new measures for nutrition security and assessment of food insecurity that are broadly applicable. It was developed by the ONR Implementation Working Group on Nutrition and Health Disparities in collaboration with NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) and Offices in support of the goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research. Deadline, October 5th. 

• The Center for Science in the Public Interest’s (CSPI’s) first round of grantmaking for 2022 is now open. CSPI seeks to support communities as they explore local, state, and federal policy interventions to elicit systemic change and advance a just and equitable food environment. CSPI is focused on identifying strategies and passing policies aimed at increasing purchasing power for, and access to, nutritious food that meets people’s needs, supporting a healthier food environment, and reducing health disparities across demographic groups. Several opportunities are currently open, with details available here.