YSPH staff members from the Community Alliance for Research & Engagement (CARE) and the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center (PRC) recently presented at the annual Mothers and Others for Justice (MOFJ) HEALTH Institute in New Haven.
MOFJ is a New Haven grassroots advocacy group sponsored by Christian Community Action (CCA), a local non-profit organization serving New Haven families for nearly 60 years. The HEALTH (Helping Everyone Achieve Lifelong Trusted Health care) Committee of MOFJ organizes their institute to facilitate informative discourse and transformative workshops on various health-related themes that are most important to the MOFJ community.
Sofia I. Morales, program manager of research and evaluation at CARE and the PRC, facilitated a community-centered discussion on April 18 focusing on the critical issue of food insecurity. Titled "Understanding the Impact of Food Insecurity on Health: Challenges and Pathways Forward," the presentation examined the complex layers of food insecurity, prompting robust dialogue among community members to collectively identify challenges and collaborative solutions.
Morales acknowledged the profound health ramifications stemming from food insecurity, underscoring the need for intervention to disrupt this harmful cycle. Highlighting the strengths of the New Haven community, her presentation embraced an asset-based approach, elevating community resilience and initiatives while directly addressing the enduring disparities faced by Black and Brown communities and families with low incomes.
Katherine LaMonaca, assistant director of research & evaluation, joined the HEALTH Institute on May 2 to discuss diabetes prevention in New Haven, in the context of wide inequities in diabetes risk that disproportionally affect New Haven communities most impacted by food insecurity.
The presentation began with an exploration of individual, social, organizational, and environmental causes of diabetes and related prevention approaches, leading to engaged conversation among community members sharing their ideas, insights, and personal experiences. LaMonaca also shared updates from the PRC and CARE’s ongoing diabetes prevention study in New Haven and concluded by highlighting several current and upcoming community-based diabetes prevention projects in the city.
Both presentations and discussions were well-received and resonated with the approximately 15 members of MOFJ who were in attendance. Prompted by community feedback and insights from Morales’s presentation, MOFJ is now preparing for an upcoming event on May 30 that will showcase a cooking demonstration, aimed at equipping individuals with practical skills for preparing nutritious meals sourced from food pantries.
This initiative underscores a commitment to continuous learning and proactive community engagement. Such efforts serve as conduits for equipping individuals with practical skills to foster resilience and promote holistic well-being within communities. For more information on this upcoming event or MOFJ, please reach out to Merryl Eaton at merryleaton@ccahelping.org or 203 676 3110.