– This award is presented to teen-led initiatives that demonstrate the leadership values of shared power, personal growth, independence, trust, communication, respect, and accountability. The Student Ambassadors embodied these values in their service project featuring the Mariposa Park revitalization, Storybook Trail,…
– Due to sad and sobering current events, every organization in the Healthier Perth Amboy (HPA) coalition has had to close its doors to the public, including the City of Perth Amboy. It was not easy for any of us to…
– In Passaic County, as in many communities, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis can be felt at multiple levels. United Way of Passaic County Chief Executive Officer Yvonne Zuidema has reported the top issues her organization and community partners are…
– With schools closed and interactions among peers replaced by social distancing, the Bridgeton Next GEN Leaders are participating in journaling exercises to remain connected to each other, to their coaches and to the community. Project Director and coach Nina Young…
– Healthier Perth Amboy (HPA) has identified a critical issue not originally in our Blueprint for Action that needs our immediate attention: the vaping epidemic. To first address this issue, we turned to those who are affected the most — teenagers….
– The Hammonton Health Coalition (HHC) began the year by reflecting on the knowledge we gained in 2019. Individuals from 10 stakeholder organizations and our Community Connectors shared their perspectives on our goal to build a culture of inclusion in Hammonton. Many resonated…
– The Secaucus Next Generation Community Leaders (NGCL) are committed to positively impacting their hometown. As teen leaders in our community, we have noticed some issues that are barriers to health for residents. The most prominent concerns are peer pressure, safety,…
– The third cohort of Perth Amboy’s Emerging Leaders for a Healthier Community has decided to work on city beautification and inform residents about the dangers of carbon monoxide exposure for their summer action plan. Since choosing these community priorities, the…
– There are many health-related issues within my city, and as Bridgeton’s Next Generation Community Leaders (Next GEN Leaders), our team chose to target food insecurity. In Fall 2019, we visited downtown Bridgeton and set up tables with bags of fresh…
– In February 2020, we held a community conversation in South Bound Brook, one of the towns our “Building Bridges to Better Health” initiative serves. We took the opportunity to share updates about our work in the town. More importantly, we…
– Community engagement is one of the hallmarks of our community safety initiatives, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). It is led by residents and spearheaded by Paterson’s 4th Ward Councilwoman, Ruby Cotton. In collaboration with Paterson Habitat for Humanity and…
– In October 2019, our community partner, the North Bergen School District, offered the Rainbow Days Curriculum-Based Support Group program to its first student cohort at North Bergen High School. Together with the North Bergen Director of Student Services, Theresa Rabelo, and…