MEDIA ADVISORY
October 23, 2012
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jon Atherton
203-240-9664
jon.atherton@yale.edu
MAYOR DESTEFANO TO JOIN CONGRESSWOMAN ROSA DELAURO, THE NEW HAVEN FOOD
POLICY COUNCIL, COMMUNITY ALLIANCE FOR RESEARCH & ENGAGEMENT AT YALE'S
NATIONAL FOOD DAY EVENT
Yale University will celebrate National Food Day with a special event
“Food Day - Food
Action<http://peabody.yale.edu/events/food-day-food-action>!” on
Oct. 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural
History<http://peabody.yale.edu/>, 170 Whitney Ave.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Mayor John DeStefano Jr. will speak
about food insecurity and launch the New Haven Food Policy Action Plan.
Other featured speakers will include:
* Jeannette Ickovics, director of The Community Alliance for
Research & Engagement (CARE) at the Yale School of Public Health,
professor at Yale School of Public Health, and lead curator of the
exhibition “Big Food: Health, Culture and the Evolution of Eating,”
currently on display at the Peabody
* Tagan Engel, chair, New Haven Food Policy Council
* Stacy Spell, chair, West River Neighborhood Services Corporation
Following the program in the auditorium, local chefs from Miya's Sushi,
Sandra's Next Generation, and Green Well Organic Tea & Coffee will share
samples that showcase healthy and affordable food that can be replicated
in home kitchens.
Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy,
affordable, and sustainable food. Sponsored by CARE, “Food Day - Food
Action!” will celebrate the strides being taken by the New Haven
community to create better food for a better city. This event connects
the national food movement with community and city leaders to hear about
effective action being taken to deliver New Haven’s first “Food
Action Plan<http://www.NHFoodPolicyCouncil.org>,” which aims to
increase access to healthy food for all, strengthen the City’s local
food economy, and encourage healthy food choices through education and
marketing efforts. Led by the New Haven Food Policy Council, the “Food
Action Plan” is the culmination of two years of research and community
effort to combat obesity and to provide healthy food throughout New
Haven.
A 2009 study by CARE found that one in two students were either
overweight or obese, and one in five New Haven residents suffered from
"food insecurity." Poor diet - exacerbated by lack of access to healthy
foods and inadequate exercise - are among the risk factors attributed to
the city’s high rate of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and
type 2 diabetes.
“A local plan is vital for improving health throughout the city,”
said Ickovics. “The Food Policy Council has produced a comprehensive
plan to build and maintain a food system that nourishes all people in a
just and sustainable manner. I believe that New Haven now can step
forward as a model for the nation.”
CARE is a university-community partnership that works to improve New
Haven’s health through the use of evidence-based programs and
policies. It brings Yale faculty, administrators, and students together
with representatives from government, schools, the New Haven Health
Department, health care providers, community organizations, local
businesses, and philanthropic agencies. The New Haven Food Policy
Council is a volunteer advisory board for the City of New Haven.
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