Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn District Management Association

Through its Healthy Neighborhoods Fund initiative, NYHealth is supporting six communities across New York State to become healthier, more active places.

Although all the communities are working toward the common goal of improving the health of their residents, each community may face particular challenges. By offering responsive and time-sensitive technical assistance funding to grantees and their partners, NYHealth can help them meet their goals. In 2020, NYHealth awarded the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn District Management Association a grant to help address the evolving nutritional needs of public housing residents.

Under this grant, the Association supported the Farragut Food Club in expanding its work to build food security and community power for public housing residents. A new project manager created and led programming with public housing communities in Brooklyn, including outreach and education about online Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) availability and free food relief coordination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local and regional food suppliers were also engaged to increase and diversify residents’ access to free and SNAP-eligible food sources. Additionally, the Farragut Food Club documented the experience of residents and shared best practices with other interested communities in New York State.