As the warmer months are upon us, the Eat Well. Play Hard. Binghamton! project is gearing up for summer food and summer fun. It’s time to put the electronics away and enjoy moving more through physical activities, gardening initiatives, and all sorts of play at the Lee Barta Community Center. United Way of Broome County’s Healthy Lifestyles Coalition and the pilot project, Eat Well. Play Hard. Binghamton!, have plenty of family-friendly activities to keep you engaged and healthy this summer.
While school may be ending, the need for proper nutrition has not. Join us at the Lee Barta Community Center all summer long for healthy summer meals and youth enrichment programming.
Aside from healthy and delicious meals, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) will be on-site, providing educational programming, encouraging youth and families to make healthy choices. Attendees will learn how to create their healthy snacks and recipes, participate in STEM activities, and much more. Adults will also have the opportunity to learn to preserve their summer harvest, and the importance of good nutrition for the family, all year round.
Last summer, the Lee Barta Community Center site served over 300 healthy summer meals to the community, put dozens of new books in the hands of children to encourage summer reading, and worked with some amazing volunteers who engaged with youth, who otherwise would not have a positive space to learn and grow.
SUMMER MEALS
Our summer meals program will run each week on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, beginning July 8 through August 23, 2019. For other summer meal sites in Broome County, be sure to text FOOD to 211 or visit www.feedbroome.org
GARDENING
Ever thought about starting your own garden? Interested in trying new foods, but don’t have a green thumb? Sign-up for a community garden plot or a weekly subscription of fresh fruits and vegetables through Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments (VINES). VINES has low-cost garden beds and weekly Farm Share boxes available all summer long, with discounts for income-eligible residents who are seeking access to fresh, local, healthy food. Alongside VINES, the Lee Barta Community Center will be hosting Gardening 101 workshops and Farm Share 101 session to get you started! Get to know your neighbors, get your hands dirty, learn a new skill, and burn calories, all while growing your food. There are several VINES sites to choose from, including the Lee Barta Community Center. Visit www.vinesgardens.org for more information.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit our headquarters at the Lee Barta Community Center, we invite you to visit us! Newly expanded, see the new computer lab, fitness room, food pantry, expanded bike shop, and community programming! There are countless ways to get involved.
If you are interested in getting involved with United Way of Broome County’s Healthy Lifestyles Coalition, including or community bike shop, contact Kimberli Schwartz, Health Initiatives Manager.
