Programs for Jersey City Residents
The Friends of Arlington Park are mainly members of the Jersey City community who volunteer to maintain the park. These volunteers also plan and host events at Arlington Park, including Yoga instruction and the Weekly Farmer’s Market.
HealthierJC + Friends of Arlington Park
For the Friends of Arlington Park, building a Culture of Health means being committed to bringing healthy and affordable food to our community via a Weekly Farmer’s Market.
The Friends of Arlington Park program closely aligns with the HealthierJC mission to expand access to quality education, promote fellowship, and build future community leaders. In awarding the mini-grant, HealthierJC acknowledged the contribution of in Friends of Arlington Park advancing a Culture of Health in Jersey City.
Results
Pre-covid, Friends of Arlington Park used the HealthierJC Mini-Grant to help fund bringing the community affordable, healthy and fresh food products every Saturday throughout the summer and into the fall season.
Friends of Arlington Park hosted 16 Farmers Market events for more than 100 Jersey City residents. To illustrate how the Farmers Market benefited the Jersey City community, a family of six people could purchase enough food at the market for the week using their EBT card.
By collaborating with the Jersey City Department of Health & Human Services and the Partnership for a HealthierJC, Friends of Arlington Park was able to provide residents with reusable bags and free handouts during market events.
Moving Forward…
Moving forward, the Friends of Arlington Park intend to continue hosting the Farmers’ Market for Ward F residents. However, before that happens, they believe a better plan is needed to engage the community and increase participation. Due to the pandemic, there have been many limitations, however, they expect little by little to transition back to their weekly Farmers Market in the summer.
For more information about Friends of Arlington Park, please visit the organization’s website at https://bit.ly/3wsTV61 or call their local number at (917) 482-3009