Promoting Health Statewide
On O‘ahu, we’re dedicated to both local and statewide policy change. Locally, there are always a number of initiatives needing attention (tobacco-free campuses, smoke-free public housing, etc.) and, statewide, we’re collaborating with partners and advocates from across the state to push a set of select priorities each legislative session. These priorities are set by our respective policy workgroups, which are comprised of public health partners and community leaders.
O‘ahu Farm to School Network (OFSN)
The mission of the O‘ahu Farm to School Network (OFSN) is to create connections to grow healthy children and communities through garden-based education and farm-fresh local food. OFSN envisions and works to empower the development of schools as models of resilient communities.
The core membership of OFSN consists of service providers committed to advancing farm to school opportunities including non-profit organizations, state agencies, farms and other local businesses. OFSN’s general membership encompasses stakeholders such as schools and individual practitioners including educators, students, parents, and administrators.
Founded in 2012 and coordinated through ‘Iolani School and Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL), OFSN works to strengthen and connect farm to school programs on O‘ahu by building the network of service providers and producing professional development and policy advocacy opportunities for stakeholders.
PROMOTING POLICY CHANGE IN
Public Housing .
Smoke-free multi-unit housing, often called the “next frontier” for smoke-free policies, is beginning to gain traction across the nation. In 2017, the Department of Housing and Urban Development will implement a rule to make all public housing throughout the United States smoke-free. In 2014, Hawai‘i assed HRS 365D-6.5, which protects public housing residents, employees, and their guests from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. In order to implement the smoke-free public housing law, we’ve collaborated with a number of partners to create the Wellness Initiative. The initiative was later expanded to include additional issues faced by public housing residents and staff. The Wellness Team examines these issues and works to develop strategies to address them and/or link residents to existing services and programs in the community.
Key Developments
Live on O‘ahu and want to get involved?
Policy change begins in communities. We have seen that many times in Hawai‘i. A policy is passed by a town or county, another island follows, and then the policy is enacted statewide. On O‘ahu, a great deal of our focus falls on the State Legislature.
For O‘ahu residents, there are literally dozens of opportunities to submit testimony and attend hearings on critical legislation. O‘ahu also is where we hold our annual Kick Butts Day rally at the State Capitol and where we have a number of Perspectives on Health trips. If you’d like to support our work reducing tobacco use and/or promoting healthy eating, active living, please make sure you are on our email list and following us on social media.
If you’re interested in a deeper level of involvement, consider joining our Obesity Prevention Task Force or volunteering to help make our annual Kick Butts Day event (March of each year) bigger and better than ever.