We have to work together.

It’s National Nutrition Month, but Campbell Soup Company works year-round to build a Culture of Health through Campbell’s Healthy Communities, a program geared toward reducing childhood obesity and hunger in Camden by 50 percent over 10 years. But building a Culture of Health isn’t something we can achieve alone. It’s a team effort, which is why we collaborate across sectors to tackle this epidemic.

A natural place to kick start a healthy culture is at area schools like in Campbell’s hometown of Camden, N.J.

For example, at the Environment Community Opportunity Charter School we worked with partners like The Food Trust, The Food Bank of South Jersey, The Food Corps and the YMCA to teach Camden’s youth about the importance of eating healthy and staying active. The Food Trust helped teachers create lesson plans and activities that focused on healthy eating while the Food Bank of South Jersey held interactive cooking classes for students and parents. Students learned about gardening in their own vegetable garden that The Food Corps built on

The Food Trust helped teachers create lesson plans and activities that focused on healthy eating while the Food Bank of South Jersey held interactive cooking classes for students and parents. Students learned about gardening in their own vegetable garden that The Food Corps built on school ground. And the YMCA even helped keep students moving together during recess.

We also ran programs at other schools and community-based organizations in Camden, and supported community-wide programs, such as the Healthy Corner Store Initiative and Soccer for Success. Our strategy centers on food access, physical activity, nutrition education and public will—each has seen notable progress due to our cross-sector partnerships.

Who can you team up with to work towards building a Culture of Health in New Jersey?

This blog also appeared on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Leadership Network on LinkedIn.

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