All in East Harlem

In June 2014, Hunter College and the East Harlem community organized All in East Harlem, a vision conference that brought together Hunter College faculty and students and the many individuals and organizations concerned about the future of East Harlem and the well-being of its residents.

On a sunny summer Saturday in June, over 175 people came out to share ideas and discuss the potential partnerships that Hunter College can forge with the East Harlem community. The conference included several keynote speakers, including Congressman Charles Rangel, labor leader Dennis Rivera, and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

From left: Jacqueline Mondros, Dean, Silberman School of Social Work; Dennis Rivera, Community and Labor Leader; Jennifer Raab, President, Hunter College; Nicholas Freudenberg, Co-Director, NYC Food Policy Center at Hunter College. Credit: Richard Caruso Photography

From left: Gale Brewer, Manhattan Borough President; Jacqueline Mondros, Dean, Silberman School of Social Work; Nicholas Freudenberg, Co-Director, NYC Food Policy Center at Hunter College. credit: Richard Caruso Photography

From the conference program:

The New York City Food Policy Center co-facilitated the Food Access, Promotion and Affordability Work Group where several East Harlem health and human service professionals discussed the health issues confronting our community.  The group also identified several actions that Hunter can take to promote collaboration and resource sharing among groups working to promote healthier food environments in East Harlem.

Conference participants voting for their favorite ideas for future projects. credit: Richard Caruso Photography

Diana Johnson, Director of Community Projects, NYC Food Policy Center at Hunter College presents the Food Access Group’s ideas for future projects for Hunter College and the East Harlem Community. credit: Richard Caruso Photography

We looked for suggested actions that:

• Build on previous accomplishments of East Harlem organizations and residents
• Enhance rather than duplicate the food-related work of existing organizations, individuals and coalitions
• Benefit from the contributions that Hunter and CUNY faculty and students have to offer
• Promise to bring about meaningful improvement in the food status and diet of the people of East Harlem and reductions in the inequalities in health experienced by East Harlem residents.

We look forward to working with our community partners to continue this dialog and build on the momentum generated by this landmark collaboration.

East Harlem Needs Assessment

For many years, community advocates, researchers and nonprofit groups have studied and written about East Harlem.  To make some of this information more readily available to those working to improve East Harlem, the New York City Food Policy Center conducted a search of needs assessments and food studies done in East Harlem over the period 2003 to 2013. We found a total of 19 assessments and food studies conducted by different groups, organizations and academics. Read the summary…

East Harlem Directory of Community Resources

East Harlem is an energetic, historic community with a network of resources for the many people who live, work, shop, eat, and visit El Barrio. Here we have compiled a directory of organizations that are involved in some way with food systems work in our neighborhood. If you or an organization you know is missing from this list, please email us at info@nycfoodpolicy.org and we’ll include the information.

Research Action Workshop on Food Environments and Food Policy in East Harlem: Reading List

The entire list of readings assigned for the Spring 2014 East Harlem Research Action Workshop. Learn more about the East Harlem Research Action Workshop.

Get Involved!

Get involved! Contact your local representatives to advocate for change around the pressing issues facing our community. Join a working group or coalition and find strength in numbers.

East Harlem Community Websites and Blogs

Find links to the many websites, blogs, community message boards and groups that report on East Harlem current events and resources.

All in East Harlem

Learn about this landmark partnership, kicked off as a conference that brought together Hunter College faculty and students and the many individuals and organizations concerned about the future of East Harlem and the well being of its residents.

Come across other useful resources? Please send us the link at info@nycfoodpolicy.org.