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 after-school and summer programs for children in the neighborhoods of central Jackson. True to their history, the organization continues listening to community families for ways to help the community.
A Community Space for Connection
In addition to programming for children, Operation Shoestring offers workshops for parents. Parent programs began as a natural outgrowth of after-school activities. Organizers listened to the concerns of the parents while bringing or picking up their children and began tailoring programs to meet them.
These parents were able to guide the content of the parental workshops. Among other topics, they mentioned challenges that are familiar to public health professionals. Good food is expensive. Jobs and life leave little time for exercise. Safe places to exercise are unavailable. People need places where they can speak openly about mental health.
“These parents are well aware of the challenges in their community,” said Alexandra Melnick, communications director at Operation Shoestring.
Parents wanted to learn ways to help handle these difficulties. They started a healthy eating workshop, which led to exercise classes, and even cooking classes where parents were offered squash, sweet potatoes, and other produce.
Qula Madkin, a registered dietitian and nutritionist teaching a healthy eating class, noted the parents’ desire to learn more. “There’s a barrier to information and how it is distributed,” Madkin said in 2023.
we all rise together
At a class on healthy eating, parents get more than recipes: they also get fresh produce, kitchen essentials, and on-site child care.
Just as important, they get to cook, exercise, or talk together.
“Our classes are more than just a dump of information; what they need is a supportive environment,” Melnick said.
A community amplifies individual choices. When parents have a healthy diet and habits, they teach them to children. When parents try new exercises in front of others, the rest of the class learns when someone identifies what works for them.
“It lets the parents rethink their relationship with health,” Melnick said.
After all, the motto at Operation Shoestring is “We all rise together.”
Community Education Tips
- Recognize the value of listening to a community to learn what they need in their own words.
- Consider how spaces and activities are related. As an example, Operation Shoestring provides child care so that parents are free to focus on learning activities.
- Consider ways that fostering community connection benefits the community long-term. Learn about Social Determinants of Health, one of UProot’s priority focus areas.
If you want to support Operation Shoestring, you can. They rely 100% on the financial support of generous donors and partners. Check out their Twitter and Facebook pages, as well.
Find out how to support them here.
Have a success story of your own, or know of one? Contact us to help share the good news.