A $3.4 million CDC grant was awarded to the CARE program in New Haven. It’s a collaborative effort between Southern Connecticut State University and Yale School of Public Health.
“CARE is making a tremendous difference in the lives of New Haven residents,” said SCSU interim president Dr. Dwayne Smith. “In particular, we are transforming the day-to-day experience of those who are most impacted by health and income disparities.”
Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE) began in 2007 with a goal to improve health in New Haven among communities most impacted by those disparities. Program director Alycia Santilli says 34 percent of residents live below 100 percent of the poverty threshold.
This new round of grant funding will go to community programs like the one planned at Fair Haven Community Health Care. When the new building is complete, patients be able to pick up prescription medication, and some will also pick up prescription produce in the Produce Prescription program.
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“This funding is actually critical in terms of us rolling out and getting this program to the next level,” said Veena Kapadia director of business development for the health center. “In the first year we’re targeting about 60 patients and it will grow from there.”
The grants will go to programs that improve access to nutrition, physical fitness and breastfeeding.
“Having a breastfeeding professional talk to you and help you understand what you’re seeing, how a baby is feeding can be really, really important,” said Dionne Lowndes, a nurse and lactation consultant.
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Susan Harris from Witness to Hunger and says she’s seen the impacts of food prices. It’s costing more to get food from suppliers.
“Before covid they weren’t charging for them,” Harris said. “After covid, now things are picking up and food prices are also on the rise and they’re also starting to charge again.”
The grant will cover costs by volunteers who help with things like packaging groceries for students to take home on school breaks.
“Parents are finishing up their SNAP benefits [for the month] and things are running lean around the house and they can use an extra boost of groceries, so we look forward to doing this work whenever we can.”
