Grant Activities and Special Projects

Let's Grow Montclair
Is a collaboration with the Health Department, Montclair Community Farms (MCF) and HOMEcorp, to provide plots for community gardening, and a series of monthly workshops pertaining to all types of gardening.  This project is made possible through a grant from Partners for Health and New Jersey Healthy Communities Network. 
Go the MCF website to register for workshops, and find out more about the project. www.montclaircommunityfarms.org

Montclair Shop Healthy

Montclair Health Department is one of over 100 municipal, non-profit and foundation partners in the New Jersey Healthy Communities Network (NJHCN) that supports developing healthy environments for people to live, work, learn and play. Its Montclair Shop Healthy (MSH) project receives grant support from Partners for Health Foundation, a member of NJHCN’s funding collaborative, to implement environment changes through a local healthy corner store initiative that encourages small business owners to offer more healthy food options to their neighborhood customers.

The project is an example of a public private collaboration that now includes seven stores that sell healthier food and beverage choices, like fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread, eggs, water and lower fat milk: Café Clair, Church Street Plaza Shop, Grove Convenience, Krauszers on Valley Road, Mission Mini, Montclair Food & Fuel, and Quick Pick. Most recently, Jack’s on North Fullerton Avenue, a 65-year old family run business owned by Nancy Sutherland, joined Montclair Shop Healthy

The Montclair Shop Healthy's vibrant poster in participating store windows promotes their participation, and food demonstrations offer customers the chance to taste healthy foods sold in the stores that they might overlook otherwise. However, in the end, it is the customers who need to persuade store owners to expand their healthy food options by voicing their desire to purchase healthy products that are good for themselves and their families.

Mobile Farm Stand
The Montclair Community Farm Coalition is in it's second year of operating a Mobile Farm Stand, which takes locally grown produce from its farm sites to area seniors. The Coalition operates two primary micro-farm sites -- one behind the Home Corp building on Miller Street and one at the Montclair Historical Society on Orange Road. This summer they're selling the produce at affordable prices to seniors by setting up shop in the farm stand at Montclair’s senior housing buildings and Edgemont Park House.

A grant from the United States Department of Agriculture provided the Montclair Community Farm Coalition with the funds necessary to purchase a pick up truck and have the farm stand constructed. The Professional Woodworkers Guild of Upper New Jersey built the farm stand using reclaimed lumber in the carpentry shop of Matthew Weiss, MCW Carpentry, LLC, current president of the guild.

The Montclair Community Farm Coalition consists of local organizations committed to engaging the community in farming, food, agricultural and nutrition education. These local community farms are hands-on resources to create a healthy food environment to support healthy food and lifestyle choices. The members of the Montclair Community Farm Coalition are HOMECorp, Montclair Health Department, Montclair Historical Society, Montclair State University, and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Essex County: Essex 4-H and Master Gardeners.

Mayor's Wellness Campaign
The Mayors Wellness Campaign is an initiative of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. The mission of the Mayors Wellness Campaign is to equip mayors and other key leaders with the tools to develop and implement active-living initiatives in their communities with the ultimate goal of improving health and reducing the skyrocketing health care costs that come with the obesity problem in New Jersey.

Currently, more than half of the New Jersey’s 566 municipalities are participating in the campaign and are working aggressively to decrease obesity rates and increase the overall health of their communities. Major funding for the Mayors Wellness Campaign is provided by The Walmart Foundation.

The goal of the Montclair Mayor's Wellness Campaign is to increase opportunities for Montclair residents to participate in daily physical activity with a long-term goal of reducing personal and health care costs secondary to obesity. Through public-private partnerships, the MWC provides structure and resources for healthy community initiatives.

“Obesity rates, particularly among our children, and the resulting incidences of diabetes, heart disease and hypertension are rising at alarming rates for all New Jerseyans, but this trend could be reversed with changes to diet and exercise regimens,” said Mayor Jackson.

A Mayor's Wellness "Challenge" was held in January through April of 2017, where community and business partners offered residents nutritional and health education, as well as activities and events to promote health. Prizes and incentives were given to keep participants motivated. To stay aware of activities in town, please follow the Montclair Mayor's Wellness Campaign facebook page.>