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This project was eligible for matching funds through 2017 - 2018 Healthy Neighborhoods Challenge

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We Run Brownsville - Next Level

We Run Brownsville is a grassroots effort to encourage women who are living and working in Brownsville to take ownership of their physical, mental and emotional wellness.

Leader

Sheila Gordon

Location

Dumont & Herzel Street Brooklyn, NY 11212

About the project

We Run Brownsville is a grassroots effort to encourage women who are living and working in Brownsville to take ownership of their physical, mental and emotional wellness. 
We Run Brownsville has completed (3) 5K races and we are now training to participate in the 5K Jingle Bell Jog race in December 2017. Your donation will go a long way in helping us to keep our program entirely FREE because we don't ever want finance to be a barrier for these women to participate in the program.
Runners participate in an 8 week walk-to-run program that prepares them to complete a competitive 5K race. Our holistic approach to community engagement promotes an empowered resistance to a negative external narrative and co-creates a message of resilience and advocacy through "active" activism. We Run Brownsville supports women in strengthening their change agent skills to more effectively inform policy, influence decision making and authentically lead neighborhood transformation.
Make your donation here and watch it double for We Run Brownsville as part of the New York State Health Foundation Matching Grant Challenge!

The Steps

9/1 to 9/30 - on-going outreach & enrollment

9/30 - enrollment closes

9/18-  beginning sessions (every Mon & Wed)

TBD -yoga sessions

TBD - double dutch session

TBD - Nutrition classes

11/11 - course run in Prospect Park

12/2 - Jingle Bell Jog Race in Prospect Park

Why we‘re doing it

Brownsville has the largest concentration of public housing in the country and has a corresponding rate of deep, generational poverty. As a result of its high poverty rate, high incidence of diet-related disease and status as a food desert, Brownsville residents live with a high proportion of preventable chronic health conditions including:

  • respiratory conditions ( asthma, COPD)
  • cardiovascular conditions and
  • diabetes

In addition, as many community members are plagued with obesity and mental health issues including:

  • anxiety
  • depression
  • substance abuse and
  • violence

There is clearly a link between physical conditions and corresponding negative health outcomes. 

We Run Brownsville is dedicated to promoting running, walking and other physical activities for persons of all ages and abilities, enhancing health and fitness for all, and responding to a variety of community needs.

$8,184.00 / $7,760.00