Ivanhoe Initiatives

Mech & Marie

6,000 people live in Ivanhoe $20,000

$45,000

+ =

37 % poverty line

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DINA NEWMANIVANHOE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

and more, Grown in Ivanhoe has an impressive of-fering of free classes and workshops which are open to the public for casual and experienced growers.

Taking it up a notch, Grown in Ivanhoe offers a certification program with a complete list of certi-fication standards. Growers are required to have their soil tested, must complete 18 hours of class-room instruction and be willing to give 12 hours back to the community. The goal is for the certified growers to come back and teach others. In all, the project roster boasts 35 growers and six Ivanhoe residents who are certified.

Since the programs inception four years ago, more than 5,000 pounds of produce has been grown, har-vested, sold and distributed and hundreds of people in the community have received free or reduced-cost fresh fruits and vegetables through double Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) dollars.

I hope people citywide will come to the Ivan-hoe Farmers Market, said Newman. Our season begins the third Friday of June and ends the last Friday in September. We are an outside market open from 5 to 7 p.m. on Fridays during the season.

In addition to the Market, the Ivanhoe Neigh-borhood Council has another initiative with local artists called Lots of Love which transforms vacant lots in the Ivanhoe neighborhood into spaces for activities like Meet-and-Greet, Lets Play, and Lets Grow. In an urban demonstration garden, people can work with neighbors and Master Gar-deners to grow their own food. In addition to the neighborhoods demonstration garden, people have adopted 16 plots and are growing culturally relevant food like okra, greens and onions.

This is just a glimpse of the good work going on in Ivanhoe. Through the work of Newman and others, the landscape of the neighborhood is changing. E

Ivanhoe Farmers MarketNutter Ivanhoe Neighborhood Center3700 Woodland,Kansas City, Missouri 64109

Every Friday through September,5 to 7 p.m.

To learn about the market, events and volunteer opportunities visitwww.growninivanhoe.org or contactDina at dnewman@incthrives.org.

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DINA NEWMANIVANHOE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

LEADINGTHE WAY

Meet Dina Newman, Stephen

Samuels, and Reverend Eric

Williams. Their stories may be

different, but when taken as a whole,

demonstrate how an individuals

drive and determination can bring

meaningful and positive change to

our community. Newman, Samuels,

and Williams are in the business of

building communities and with their

ideas, insights, and leadership they

are great examples of what it takes

to effect change.

How do I take this to the next level? That was a ques-tion Dina Newman, Healthy Initiatives Manager for the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council, was asking when she became involved in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Kansas City with boundaries of 31st Street to Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard and Prospect to Paseo. The Coun-cil has four committees dedicated to building a clean, beautiful, safe and thriving neighborhood for its nearly 8,000 residents.

Newman, originally from Coffeyville, Kansas, came to Kansas City 25 years ago and started with the Council in 2010, under the KC Healthy Kids grant in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. At the time, Robert Wood Johnson had a four-year Healthy Kids Healthy Community initiative, spread over 50 commu-nities across the country. They gave Newman four years to address childhood obesity under the agreement that it would not be done with programming. Most of the in-volved communities were in neighborhoods like Ivanhoe, primarily minority, underserved, and low income. So Newman took the four years to address obesity through policy, environmental, and barrier changes.

We knew we couldnt reverse childhood obesity in a matter of four years, Newman said. So we came up with strategies on how we could make an impact and reverse some of those numbers and trends.

At the time Ivanhoe couldnt wait for a full service gro-cery store, so the Grown in Ivanhoe Project was born, teach-ing people how to grow their own fresh and healthy food.

Newmans excitement was ahead of the residents who were slow to warm up to the idea. It was an eye opener and as she talked to her colleagues across the country, it wasnt uncommon. With some convincing, Newman piqued the interest of residents and others outside of Ivanhoe.

Newman reached out to experts in Kansas City who were urban growers and farmers. With help from Get Growing KC, Kansas City Community Gardens, Lincoln University Extension, University of Missouri Extension,

Needs

Better health education and practical cooking skills Easier access to food, or to lessen the food desert problem To lessen the high rate of hyper tension in the community For children to stay in school and pursue an education

Ivanhoe Needs

Needs

What can we do to promote a healthier community in Ivanhoe?

Smile Play

HealthInitiatives

Eat

The goal is to enlighten the community on the importance of healthy eating by highlighting the nutritional benefits of produce. We also want to emphasize that anyone can grow their own food, or purchase from local farmers and eat healthy on a budget.

Our Hope

Brit works as a secretary at church Sanjay is currently unemployed They have two girls, Maya and Leila Their income is lower-middle class Involved in their community Eager to learn

Brit & Sanjay

Encourage the community to eat healthier Educate the community on nutrition and portions Contribute to resolving the food desert

Ivanhoe Change

Tracking

By Ivanhoe community involvement By assessing the health of people

Tracking Change

Tracking

Cooking class to teach people in the community simple dishes to cook with the ingredients they grew in the community garden.

Idea One

Garden tool kit for children and adults to learn how to grow plants in a simple kit and has an attached card for a recipe to cook the vegetable with.

Idea Two

SHOEL grant funded study for a group of ten people to work on physical, mental, and nutritional health for a year together and be accountable for one another.

Idea Three

DUN