The Community Chest

In 2018, The Community Chest convened a group of agency representatives to discuss the epidemic-like prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the Englewood area.

Working closely with Englewood Health, local food pantries, The Office of Concern, The Center for Food Action, the Englewood Health Department and Age Friendly Englewood, we designed a dinner program serving low income people using the services of the food banks to educate them about healthy eating. The dinners, provided free of cost to the attendees, were designed by a volunteer chef and a diabetes educator from the hospital, and served by a group of enthusiastic volunteers from all over the community.

During the COVID pandemic, The Community Chest worked closely with local nonprofits to raise funds to assist with the Winter Dinner Program. The program assisted local residents experiencing food insecurity. The recipients were identified by local agencies who were already providing services to them and were known to need food. The meals were purchased from 5 Englewood-based restaurants. This program far exceeded our expectations and provided 7,500 vouchers for local residents.

The Partnership for Healthy Lifestyles has evolved from the Partnership for Healthy Eating.  We now work with Englewood Health’s Shirvan Family Live Well Center, dedicated to helping our community members lead their healthiest lives, through education, hands-on classes and workshops.   The philosophy is simple: small healthy choices every day can lead to big health changes over time. The Shirvan Family Live Well Center offers programs to teach skills for life, including

• Cooking classes

• Exercise classes

• Nutrition workshops

• Stress management programs

• Emotional wellness classes

• Programs on specific health issues, such as diabetes, cancer, weight management, heart health and more

Enjoy viewing The Shirvan Family Live Well Center website and registering for their programs.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for this initiative and would like to help plan a Healthy Eating Dinner, please contact The Community Chest.