Utica Food Club: Fighting a Food Desert with Community Organizing
Access to quality food is crucial to UProot’s highest priorities: obesity and the social determinants of health (SDOH). After a grocery store left Utica, Mississippi, residents organized to address the fact that their community had become a food desert. Utica: From agricultural haven to food desert Since the ’90s, the economy and population of Utica…
Operation Shoestring: Better Health through Listening
Nutrition, exercise, and mental health are critical when it comes to improving the health of your community. Sometimes, finding a place to safely exercise can be hard. In 1968, this was the call to action for Operation Shoestring when local organizers wanted safe playgrounds in Jackson. These days, Operation Shoestring is primarily known for quality…
Good Homes and Good Health
Social Determinants of Health are the factors that shape someone’s community: access to things like health care, education, employment, and nutrition. Those determinants aren’t just related to the outside world, however: they’re also found right in our homes. Good homes help good health. Shelter is a basic need for human beings. Extreme heat or cold…
Solutions for Food Insecurity Will Take Many Partners: 2023 Mississippi Hunger Summit
The 2023 Mississippi Hunger Summit was an example of Mississippi public health organizations doing what they do best: coming together as partners to address our state’s critical issues. In October 2023, the University of Mississippi CREW (Community First Research Center for Wellbeing & Creative Achievement) hosted the Mississippi Hunger Summit. Food access was a key…
Education: A Tool to Tackle Diabetes
November is National Diabetes Month, which focuses on diabetes prevention. Learning about simple lifestyle and nutrition tips can help manage or even prevent the onset of diabetes for Mississippians. We can all benefit when we educate ourselves about diabetes.
The ARK in Jackson: Bringing More Than Just Fitness
Exercise is a crucial part of the fight against obesity in Mississippi. But for many, finding a place to exercise is difficult. Challenges finding places to exercise in one’s community is a clear example of a social determinant of health. Creating a healthy space is one of many reasons why New Horizon Church in Jackson…
Outdoor Autumn Exercise in Mississippi
Take an opportunity to go outside and exercise in the fabulous fall weather that November brings to Mississippi. Diabetes and Exercise Moderate physical activity is one easy step that can address obesity. Obesity is a priority for the latest State Health Improvement Plan because it can lead to a host of chronic health diseases, including…
3 Ways to Build a Healthier Mississippi
When it comes to building a healthier state, we all have a part to play. See how you can connect to the great work happening to improve our state’s health in this article.
Start Here to Learn Everyday Wellness Tips
We all know what the new school year means for children returning to class, but there are opportunities for Mississippians of all ages to learn, too! From managing chronic diseases to improving your overall health, free classes are available with the latest information. Read on for resources that make everyday wellness easier, and prove that…
How the Good Samaritan Center is Growing New Possibilities for Mississippi
We spoke with Sarah Gayden Hammond, Director of Volunteers at Good Sam, and volunteers Mary Hauk and Jeannette Morgan about the gardening program and how it’s making an impact.