#Not62 – The Campaign for A Healthy Bronx! Moves Forward with a Five-Year Plan Focusing on Nutrition, Food and Mental Health

New York, NY (March 3, 2025) — The #Not62 Steering Committee, comprised of 11 Bronx health and community organizations, is moving forward with a new five-year plan providing a roadmap for recovery to help Bronx residents respond to the challenges, traumas, and health burdens they continue to face.

The #Not62 – The Campaign for A Healthy Bronx! is committed to tackling health inequities across multiple sectors. For the next five years, the campaign will focus on the following areas, which encompass the most urgent and important challenges Bronx residents face in attaining their highest levels of health:

1. Healthy Food Access, Food Security, Nutrition, and Healthy Behaviors;
2. Mental Health, Community Wellbeing, Resiliency, and Preparedness;
3. Workforce and Economic Development;
4. Health Care Access;
5. Urban Environments and Housing Quality.

In 2025-2026 the focus will be on food and nutrition, and mental health. In response to a 2023 NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Community Health Survey report, out of all five boroughs, Bronx residents had the highest prevalence of food insecurity at 59.3%. Additionally, the Bronx has the highest prevalence of diabetes in NYC at 18%, compared to 13% citywide (NYC.DOHMH, Community Health Survey 2023). The #Not62 Steering Committee’s food and nutrition work will focus on the following four policy areas:

PROPOSED POLICY #1
Supporting NYC Council INT-0641, which sets nutrition standards for children’s meals at restaurants.

PROPOSED POLICY #2
Health Bucks be permanently funded in the New York City budget.

PROPOSED POLICY #3
Restricting the content and placement of sugary drink advertisements directed towards youth on all media including television, radio, internet, outdoor displays, etc. through state laws, local ordinances, industry self-regulation, or a combination thereof.

PROPOSED POLICY #4
Funding “Healthy Destinations” that use a place-based approach to identify barriers to health and the local solutions.

In response to the Bronx’s consistently low health ranking, several groups came together in 2014 and launched #Not62 – The Campaign for a Healthy Bronx! Through collaboration between Bronx residents, businesses, health care providers, community organizations, and elected officials, the #Not62 Campaign was formed to change the conversation about health in the Bronx and to serve as a key catalyst for partners across sectors to take action in improving the health of Bronx residents.

The #Not62 – The Campaign for a Healthy Bronx! is led by a Steering Committee composed of the Bronx Borough President’s Office, The Institute for Family Health/Bronx Health REACH, Montefiore Health System, Essen Health Care, Lincoln Hospital, St Barnabas Hospital, CUNY (Lehman & Hostos), Bronx Faith Based Organizations and Community Based Organizations and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Bronx Neighborhood Health Action Center.

The #Not62 Steering Committee continues to connect people, resources, and systems. Integrating and enhancing the strengths and expertise of neighborhoods with partners across socio-economic sectors and those in the public sector will be key to accomplishing the goal of lifting the Bronx from its last placed perch.

“We are committed to championing the wonderful work of our community based organizations and health partners in overcoming health disparities and expanding access to care,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “We will continue our mission with the #Not62 Steering Committee to identify actionable next steps, and support our partners in the community to improve the quality of life and health outcomes in The Bronx. Health challenges in The Bronx are both personal and communal. Historical disinvestment and neglect has resulted in a weak health infrastructure and poorly built housing stock that often helps exacerbate health concerns. Our children are the future of The Bronx, so we must act to ensure that they are living healthy lives. Our city’s leaders must work collaboratively to create a health agenda that will work for The Bronx. In this new pandemic environment, the #Not62 Steering Committee must become a more responsive and proactive convener of health and community-based organizations, reaching deep into communities to better understand the decline in the social determinants of health. These are critical drivers of community and population health in The Bronx and taking concrete actions to make targeted improvements in social determinants of health will uplift lives of Bronxites all across the borough.”

“As a founding member of the #Not62 Steering Committee, Bronx Health REACH of the Institute for Family Health is proud of the steadfast work the Committee has been doing to address the poor health outcomes in the Bronx,” remarked Charmaine Ruddock, Project Director for Bronx Health REACH. “We continue to be adamant that the underlying factors must be addressed through necessary policies and system changes. It is to this end that we have been working strenuously to make recommendations that will result in those changes. The new five-year plan will work to create the lasting community driven solutions for a healthier Bronx. We are excited to be part of this work with other Bronx health and community organizations so that everyone has an opportunity for a healthier life in the Bronx.”

“Hostos is aware of the struggles The Bronx experiences in terms of food insecurity, mental health and disparities in health outcomes,” said Fabián Wander, Director of Health and Wellness, Development and Enrollment Management, Hostos Community College. “And we are committed to helping our students, their families, and the community at large meet those basic needs by providing food, emotional support, and other social support services, while also training the next generation of public health workers who can someday help turn the tide. As a member of the #Not 62 Steering Committee, I want to advocate for policies that address the disparities in health outcome for Bronxites in mind, body and spirit.”

“Highbridge Community Development Corporation has implemented a “Healthy Destination” model that provides a location in the community for access to nutritious food as well as inter-action with social services and health care providers,” said Msgr. Donald Sakano, President/Chair, Highbridge Community Development Corporation. “Bronx elected officials should be challenged to provide funding that would enable non-profit organizations to develop “Healthy Destinations” throughout the Bronx, including at least one in every Community Board.”
“To improve the overall well-being of Bronx residents, we need to sharpen our collective understanding about how the environmental factors surrounding where people are born, live, and age impacts their health and access to care,” said Allison Stark, MD, MBA, VP and Chief Medical Officer, Care Management Organization and Office of Community & Population Health, Montefiore Medical Center. “The new five-year campaign positions us so that together we can address underlying challenges in our community and advance the health outcomes of our borough.”

“A healthy community is tantamount to fundamentals of democracy, inclusion, and prosperity for all,” said Stephen Ritz, Founder of Green Bronx Machine. “For far too long, Bronxites have been the canaries in the coal mines. Our lives and lived experience matter. I’m thrilled to see Bronxites taking ownership of policy and initiatives designed to propel us, our children, our schools, and our communities forward now and into perpetuity. We are the folks we are waiting for. Let’s do this!”

“For over two decades, Essen Health Care has seen firsthand how food insecurity and economic barriers impact the health of Bronx residents,” said Imelda Tavas, Chief Administrative Officer at Essen Health Care. “Access to nutritious food, workforce development, and community-driven solutions are key to closing these gaps. That’s why we fully support the #Not62 campaign’s efforts — ensuring healthier meals for children (INT-0641), expanding Health Bucks access, limiting youth exposure to sugary drink marketing, and funding ‘Healthy Destinations’ to tackle local barriers. Together, we can create lasting change and build a healthier Bronx.”