This article is sponsored by Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. To learn more about the Illumination Fund and its efforts to transform the urban landscape through healthy food initiatives, visit lmtilluminationfund.org.
Food has always been a hot-button issue in NYC. But did you know that certain impoverished areas of the city lack simple access to fresh fruits and vegetables? As a result of these "food deserts," diabetes and obesity have reached alarming levels.
Since 2008, The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund has supported programs that bring healthy food into these underserved areas. Partnering with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Illumination Fund launched the NYC Green Cart initiative, a program that placed approximately 500 street vendors selling fresh produce in these same neighborhoods. As a result, healthier eating habits were established and a total of 900 new jobs were created.
On February 14, 2013, the Illumination Fund will go even further to make healthy eating a reality fo all New Yorkers by launching its "Healthy Food & Community Change" initiative, which aims to inspire healthier communities in NYC communities through partnership and community engagement.
Taking place at Teachers College, Columbia University, which will house the new Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy, the announcement and three-hour conference will be live-streamed right here. Bookmark this page to watch an engaging forum that will explore the complexities of our current food environment, discuss initiatives currently trying to improve access to healthful foods and explain methods to conduct policy and system change evaluation for food-based initiatives. Presenters and panelists will include nonprofit leaders, food and health experts and distinguished elected officials including Cory Booker, Mayor, Newark, NJ, Christine Quinn, Speaker, New York City Council, Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President and others.
The conference is currently at capacity, but you can still join the conversation through #tcfood and watch the livestream here on February 14. To learn more about the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, visit: lmtilluminationfund.org.
