By Heart Network staff
Here in the North Country, our communities exist in vast, rural areas, where access to life’s basic necessities is limited. Healthy, nutritious food can be hard to come by for those who live in less populated towns and villages, and it often takes creative solutions to overcome these obstacles.
The Joint Council for Economic Opportunity’s Mobile Market provides access to seasonal produce, baked goods and a salad bar; the market made its debut in 2018 in a partnership with JCEO and the Heart Network, with funding from the New York State Department of Health’s Creating Healthy Schools & Communities grant. One bus started with 12 stops and has since expanded, adding more communities and offerings. The Mobile Market accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits with the additional bonus of the Double Up Food Bucks Program (DUFB), which doubles the amount of produce SNAP recipients can purchase; customers can also use Office for the Aging farmers market vouchers.
Kudos to Citizen Advocates for calling out dangers of vaping
The Heart Network’s work is based on community partnerships and collaborations — and when we see another organization take a stance that aligns with us, we make sure to call them out and share our appreciation.
In August, Citizen Advocates used its platform to share information about the dangers of e-cigarettes. Culling information from the Centers for Disease Control, the piece notes that over the course of six years, e-cigarette sales increased by some 122 percent. As they are marketed as a “safer” alternative to smoking, they appeal to youth, children and young adults — of particular concern is their popularity among teenagers.
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