Community Health Outreach Program

Bronx Health REACH works within communities to provide technical assistance and to educate residents, organizations, and local businesses about health issues, such as diabetes and nutrition. Bronx Health REACH also conducts community health assessments through door to door interviews and has created an interviewer training manual for use by community health advocates and outreach workers. In addition, the coalition’s Community Health Outreach Program engages community residents as Community Health Advocates and has recruited local businesses and eateries through the Healthy Hearts Restaurant Initiative and bodega outreach. Read more about Bronx Health REACH’s current work in communities here.

Community Health Advocates (CHA)

Bronx Health REACH recruits and trains community member in diabetes education to work as Community Health Advocates (CHA). In past years, the CHAs partnered with barbershops, salons, and laundromats to bring health information to customers and trained business owners to discuss diabetes with their clients. Through the program, Bronx Health REACH partnered with 18 local businesses. The CHAs also organized outreach events, including diabetes awareness sessions, diabetes screenings, health food demonstrations, and workshops for over 1000 individuals in the Bronx community.

Healthy Hearts Restaurant Initiative and Bodega Outreach

Through the Healthy Hearts Restaurant Initiative, Bronx Health REACH partnered with 23 restaurants to promote healthier food offerings that resulted in thousands of customers having the option of choosing a healthier meal. Some participating restaurants introduced healthier menu items including low fat milk, mixed greens, and whole wheat bread. In addition, five Annual Bronx Food Festivals offered approximately 3,000 community members an opportunity to learn about healthy eating and provided restaurants an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to making healthier options available. Bronx Health REACH also promoted participating restaurants to local organizations and used them to cater meetings and events.

As part of its bodega and small grocer outreach, Bronx Health REACH provided technical assistance to business owners to promote healthy options such as low fat milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy snacks through marketing materials and events. Bronx Health REACH also created partnerships between schools and neighborhood bodegas as part of its Snack Squad Initiative. The Snack Squad Initiative established healthy snack policies in schools and promoted healthy snack and drink items in local bodegas. Bronx Health REACH received technical assistance from The Food Trust’s Healthy Corner Store Initiative and the Snack Squad was able to license the Philadelphia-based program’s logo for a year to use with the program.