Initiatives

Faith-based Advocacy: Galvanizing Communities to End Childhood Obesity

Faith & Food: Avondale Churches Advocating for Food Access Policies

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has joined with 21 faith-based coalitions across the country to prevent childhood obesity by increasing access to healthy foods and physical activity through community advocacy.

The Center is mobilizing an existing faith-based coalition to advance City of Cincinnati policies to improve the availability of affordable, healthy foods in Avondale. The project will build off of a community food assessment and the establishment of church-sponsored community gardens to engage the community in actions that inform land use policies to improve the food environment.

Partner churches are:
• Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church
• Southern Baptist Church
• Zion Baptist Church

Food Access Task Force

The Food Access Task Force was appointed by Vice Mayor, David Crowley, Chair of the Health Committee and Council Member Laketa Cole, Chair of the Finance Committee. The task force makes recommendations on increasing access to healthy foods in the low-income, minority neighborhoods of Avondale and Walnut Hills.

The task force is made up of a diverse group of individuals representing various business, organizations and institutions:

Co-chairs:

• Renee Mahaffey Harris
  Executive Director of The Center for Closing the Health Gap
• Daniel Oerther
  Director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Environments at the University of Cincinnati.
• Teressa Adams
  Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
• Brenden Cull
  The Kroger Company
• Ozie Davis
  Avondale Do Right! Campaign
• Monica Hampton
  Neighborhood Healthcare-Walnut Hills Evanston Health Center
• Jason Kershner
  Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Patricia Milton
  Avondale Community Council
• Sheila Posey
  Uptown Consortium, Inc.
• John Pramuk
  University Hospital
• Sean Rugless
  Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce
• Dr. Lisa Simpson
  Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Child Policy Research Center
• Rev. Clarence Spencer Wallace
  Carmel Presbyterian Church, Avondale Coalition of Churches
• Stacey Wegley
  Hamilton County Public Health
• Mel Williams
  Walnut Hills Community Center
• William Witten
  Avondale Business Association
• Linda Woods
  University Hospital

Click here for the full Food Access Task Force report.