The Community Chest Receives Grant for Healthy Eating Initiative

Combating the serious trend of obesity and diabetes in Englewood by improving residents' eating habits just received a boost from a benefactor. The Community Chest of eastern Bergen County was awarded a $5,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation for the Partnership for Healthy Eating. This initiative was created to curb poor nutritional habits and improve peoples' eating regiment and their overall health.

"The Community Chest thanks the TD Charitable Foundation for their generous contribution and continued support of this program. The foundation has a long tradition of supporting the diverse communities they serve and working with nonprofit organizations such as The Community Chest to provide equitable health outcomes for consumers," said Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer, Executive Director of The Community Chest, a nonprofit organization serving 15 municipalities in eastern Bergen County.

The Partnership for Healthy Eating initiative was launched in November of 2018. The Community Chest, the lead agency, launched the partnership in collaboration with Englewood Health (formerly Englewood Hospital and Medical Center), the Center for Food Action, Office of Concern Food Pantry at St. Cecilia Church, Age-Friendly Englewood, and the City of Englewood-Health Department.

Initiative Addresses a Serious Health Crisis

Since its inception, The Partnership for Healthy Eating has sponsored nine community dinners since the fall of 2018, serving more than 500 people from our community. The program responds to disturbing statistics about the health of many residents of Englewood, particularly those from minority populations. A survey of patients in the Englewood Health Service (formerly Englewood Hospital) area found:

• 10.9% of adults have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes or borderline” diabetes versus 5.7% nationwide;
• more than 1 in 5 adults in the Hispanic community in the hospital’s service area are considered obese; and
• childhood obesity prevails in the service area with 23.9% boys and 21.6% girls, more than double the national average of 9.5%

The Partnership created a community-based nutrition education program offered to low-income residents of Englewood with obesity and diabetes. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Partnership's program provided monthly dinners for residents of Englewood. Groups of up to 100 people were brought together in accessible locations, including community rooms and houses of worship. Residents were invited to participate by area food pantries, the City of Englewood-Health Department, the Federally Qualified Health Center in Englewood, Age-Friendly Englewood and the congregants of the host houses of worship. In response to the changing landscape and rules resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, The Community Chest is creating a COVID-19 sensitive plan to implement in the coming months.

Contributions to the Partnership for Healthy Eating initiative continue to be accepted and may be done by mailing a check to The Community Chest, located at 122 South Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey 07631. An online donation may be made on The Community Chest's website by clicking the Donate button.

For further information about The Community Chest and the Partnership for Healthy Eating initiative, contact (201) 568-7474. Stay updated about the organization’s activities on Facebook and Twitter.