Building a Healthy Community Opa-Locka

In January 2010, we partnered with Florida Memorial College to launch the Build a Healthy Community Opa-Locka Childhood Obesity Prevention Project (BHC-OPL) to reduce the risks of childhood obesity by addressing the issue of food access by increasing community awareness similar to the project initiated in Jacksonville in January of 2009.

The heart of this strategy is engaging the community, especially youth, in a range of activities in the interest of developing enduring solutions. Through the building of a coalition of concerned community members and organizations, along with engagement and youth led surveys, more than 1,000 people who live, work and worship in Opa-Locka identified the following goals and objectives for BHC-OPL.

Promote health education and advocacy efforts to increase access to healthy food for residents and schools located in the Opa-locka area.

Increase the number of youth and adults who engage in community gardening and urban agriculture.

Promote the active engagement of children, youth, and families in the design, development, implementation and evaluation of community health and health education initiatives.

Develop civic leadership programs for youth to build youth-led community organizing, community engagement and advocacy.

Community Call to Action Priority Focus

Early Learning

Schools and After-School Programs

Community- and Faith-based

Organizations

Built environment

The Build a Healthy Community Childhood Obesity Prevention Project (BHC-COP), and its coalition of agencies, organizations, and public/private partnerships facilitate access to healthy food through a process of community building, youth engagement, innovation and enhanced utilization of healthcare providers in this northern Miami-Dade County area.