What they do: New Settlement Apartments is a housing and community service organization committed to neighborhood revitalization and community development, including working towards excellence in community public schools. Year-round community services and education programs are structured in direct response to the interests of neighborhood residents.
How they do it: As one site of Communities for Healthy Food NYC, New Settlement Apartments’ Community Food Action program takes an innovative approach to reshaping the Mount Eden/Southwest Bronx neighborhood food landscape. New Settlement engages children and families by embedding holistic education around food issues into local institutions, developing community leadership, and integrating healthful, sustainably sourced, and fairly produced food into the food environment. Examples of their work include hands-on culinary education to elementary and middle school age students during out of school time programs; gardening education at New Settlement Community Center’s rooftop garden; engaging students and adults to support the implementation of healthier school food menus, advocating with local groceries and developing a local, affordable farm stand in the community.
Mission: Grounded in our commitment to affordable housing and a thriving neighborhood, New Settlement Apartments collaborates with community residents and develop partnerships to create services and opportunities that celebrate the inherent dignity and potential of individuals and families.
Latest project/campaign: New Settlement’s Community Food Action Program is part of Communities for Healthy Food NYC, which addresses healthy food access in low-income neighborhoods by incorporating programming into existing services, educating residents about nutrition, and creating a new and/or improved healthy food venue.
Major Funding: Communities for Healthy Food NYC is a collaboration of LISC and received major support from the Laurie Tisch Illumination Fund. New Settlement Apartments receives major support for Community Food Action from the Levitt Foundation and the New York City Council.
Profit/nonprofit: Nonprofit
Annual budget: 6 Million
Interesting fact about how they are working to positively affect the food system: New Settlement works with its school partners to help them understand and effectively implement the alternative menu–a healthier and less processed school menu. Community Food Action has provided technical support and coordination to introduce the schools to relevant service providers, and to assist them in the selection of the most appropriate partner. Due to our unique approach, Community Food Action has achieved success in embedding wellness practices within community institutions such as schools and out of school time programs.
FACT SHEET
Location:
- 1512 Townsend Avenue
- Bronx, NY, 10452
Core Programs:
New Settlement Apartments operates housing for 3,500 individuals, 30% of whom are formerly homeless, and provides services to the community’s youth and families encompassing college access, employment training, girl’s empowerment, community organizing and advocacy, health and nutrition, and after school and summer education and recreation programs.
Number of staff: 260
Number of volunteers:100
Areas served: Bronx
Date started:1990
Director: Taisy Conk, Program Director, Community Food Action
Contact information: t.conk@newsettlement.org; 718-716-8000.
