Keyword/Tag: Dallas
Using SNAP at Farmer’s Markets
Did you know that some farmer’s markets accept SNAP? Now you can spice up your routine by taking the kids on a farmer’s market adventure! It’s a great way for the kiddos to learn directly from the farmers about the fruits and vegetables they love. A scavenger hunt [like the one found here] is sure to spark your kids’ enthusiasm for a normally boring errand. When you involve your kids in the selection process they are more invested in the final outcome: dinner! The produce found at farmer’s markets are usually fresher because local farmers sell what is in season. Ever notice why tomatoes in summer are so much more flavorful than ones bought in December? It’s all about the season. You can use SNAP benefits on other items such as bread, honey, meats, fish, poultry, dairy products, and seeds/plants that produce food too. Below is a list of SNAP friendly farmer’s markets in Houston, Dallas, and Austin HOUSTON:
- East End Market, 2600 Navigation Blvd
- Get Moving Houston Farmers Market (Magnolia), 7037 Capitol St
- Get Moving Houston Farmers Markets (Lyons HC), 5602 Lyons Ave
- Get Moving Houston Farmers Markets (Sunnyside), 4605 Wilmington St
- Palm Center Farmers Market, 5400 Beekman Rd
DALLAS:
- Dallas Farmers Market/Grow North Texas, 1010 S Pearl Expy
- Vickery Meadow Local Market, 5803 E Northwest Hwy
- White Rock Local Market At Lakeside, 9150 Garland Rd
- White Rock Local Market, Inc., 702 N Buckner Blvd
AUSTIN:
- Barton Creek Farmer Market , 2901 S Capital of TX Hwy
- F2m At Mueller Farmers Market, 4550 Mueller Blvd
- Hope Farmers Market, 412 Comal St
- Johnson’s Backyard Garden, 9515 Hergotz Lane
- SFC Farmers Market 6, 201 W Saint Elmo Rd
- SFC Farmers Market 7, 2200 Berkeley Ave
- SFC Farmers’ Market 5, 7500 S Pleasant Valley Rd
- SFC Farmers’ Market At Sunset Valley, 3200 Jones Rd
- Springdale Farm, 755 Springdale Rd
- Sustainable Food Center Farmers’ Market East, 2835 E MLK Jr Blvd
Free Activities for Kids
Eating well is important, but staying physically active during the summer also promotes a healthy lifestyle. The following are a list of FREE activities in Houston, Dallas, and Austin that will keep your kids happy and healthy. HOUSTON:
- Free Bowling Daily– The Bowl on Bellaire (4191 Bellaire Blvd), Emerald Bowl (9307 Boone Rd), Copperfield Bowl (15615 Glen Chase Dr.), Times Square Entertainment (402 West Grand Parkway South). Register Online. Monday-Sunday. Times dependent on location. Ages 15 and under.
- Nature Story Time– 7112 Newcastle St, Wednesdays, 4pm.
- Free H2O Safe Swimming Classes– Ages 6-13. Locations all over Houston listed. July 14- July 24 and July 28- August 7. Time Dependent on Level and Location. Register online. Scroll down on the website for more information on levels and locations.
- Circus Arts Classes at Discovery Green – 1500 McKinney St, Wednesdays, 5:30-7PM. Ages 13 and up.
- Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark– 103 Sabine St, 7 days a week, 9am-10pm. Recommended age 10 and up.
DALLAS:
- Children’s Park at Klyde Warren Park– 2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway. Daily, 6am-11pm. All ages.
- Creative Motion presented by Circus Freaks/Clown Gym– Midtown Gallery at Valley View Center (13331 Preston Road), Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8-10pm. Would recommend for kids ages 10 and up.
- Trinity River Audobon Center– 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way. Free every third Thursday; 9am-4pm. All ages.
- Spraygrounds– Locations vary throughout Dallas area. Daily, 10am-8pm. All ages.
- White Rock Lake Park– 8300 East Lawther Dr. Daily, 6am- midnight. All ages welcome but would recommend for older kids.
AUSTIN:
- Toddler Town in iPlay Austin – 8816 Cullen Lane, Monday: 12-8pm, Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-8pm. 3yr and under. (Free under 2yrs).
- Free Summer Playgrounds Program– Register at locations all around and in Austin. Monday-Thursday: 9am-5pm; Friday: 10am-5pm. Through August 7th. Ages 6-12yrs.
- Hike St. Edwards Trail– 7301 Spicewood Springs Road, Open daily. All ages of children welcome depending on difficulty of trail.
- Free Swimming– Hours and days dependent on the many locations throughout Austin. All ages.
- Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve– 3505 W 35th St, Daily 5am-10pm. All ages.
Our First Year in Dallas
Brighter Bites in Dallas celebrates its one year anniversary this month. Time flies when you’re having fun distributing fresh produce and providing nutrition education. Here is a look back at some key milestones in Year One:
• Alicia Farhat and Meredith Spence established Brighter Bites in Dallas in May 2014 with three inaugural sites.
• Brighter Bites developed key relationships in Dallas, partnering with the North Texas Food Bank, Dallas ISD, and Uplift Education.
• Jacqueline Noyola and Kristin Michalewicz joined the team in the fall of 2014 to help coordinate program expansion.
• Brighter Bites tripled in size in the 2014 – 2015 school year, providing produce to nine sites across the Dallas area.
• We developed two new hit recipes that received overwhelmingly positive response from the kids: Do the Hula Salsa with pineapple, radishes, and bell peppers and the Super Duper Sweet Potato Dip.
• We distributed 20,000 pounds of produce and served 800 families at the Get Kidz Fit Fest in April 2015.
• During our first year, Brighter Bites in Dallas distributed an additional 1.1 million pounds of produce to students and their families.
The Brighter Bites staff in Dallas has enjoyed getting to know the kids and their families at produce distributions, working with parents and staff on school committees, and speaking about our jobs at career days. These relationships are important to the success of the Brighter Bites program and make a positive impact on our communities. Our first year in Dallas has been a huge success and we look forward to kicking off Year Two!
Fridays at Oran M. Roberts Elementary
Every Friday when I wake up and realize it’s my day to go to Oran M. Roberts Elementary School in Dallas, I get excited. I love working with the parent volunteers at this school. We are a well-oiled machine, moving heavy boxes of produce together, filling Brighter Bites bags with fruits and vegetables as we dance to the rhythm of Latin Beats, and distributing delicious food samples to families at pick up. Last week we bagged a total of about 8,500 pounds of produce into 270 pairs of Brighter Bites bags. Not bad for just one morning! One of our hardest workers, Leona Santos, was able to take a break in between her volunteering duties last Friday and shared her thoughts on Brighter Bites. Santos, as she likes to be called, did not have a lot of food available while growing up in Mexico. Fruit was a luxury and vegetables were rare. “This program has helped me appreciate what we receive,” she told me, “and to show my children to be grateful for what they have.” Santos is excited for the opportunity to give her kids what she was not able to have when she was growing up.
Leona Santos, parent volunteer at Oran M. Roberts Elementary in Dallas.
Her children, who are 8 and 14 years old, love eating a variety of food. They enjoy their mother’s vegetable soups, which usually include carrots, potatoes and any of the delicious veggies that show up in her Brighter Bites bags each week. They always ask for seconds and Santos appreciates that now she has the opportunity to expose her kids to a range of produce in her soups and other recipes.
Career Day at Adams Elementary
Last Thursday, Jacqueline Noyola was getting ready to give her career day presentation at John Q Adams Elementary School in Dallas when a group of kids entered the room dressed as the career they want to pursue when they grow up. She could see future doctors, nurses, football players, firefighters, and engineers in the crowd, but no one with her specific job. She felt inspired to talk about being a nutritionist at Brighter Bites. Most of the students did not even know that careers in public health, community nutrition, and dietetics existed so they were eager to learn about Jacqueline’s work. She described how the nutritionists and dietitians at Brighter Bites select fun recipes and ensure they are packed with a big nutrition punch. Since the kids at John Q Adams love the recipe samples Brighter Bites brings every Friday to their school, they were excited to hear Jacqueline’s behind-the-scenes stories. Her presentation was valuable for the kids. She provided them with a better understanding of the Brighter Bites program and its impact on them, their community and the rest of the participating schools in Dallas. Jacqueline was honored to participate in the school’s Career Day, teach the kids about the valuable work she does, and give them information about a job they could do someday, too. Brighter Bites’ efforts to bring healthier choices into the homes, minds and mealtimes of the families we serve extend beyond our day-to-day distributions. Career Days are another outlet through which we can discuss the importance of eating nutritious foods and help kids make brighter choices, one bite at a time!
LEADERSHIP AT ITS BEST
John Quincy Adams once said “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” The parent volunteers at John Quincy Adams Elementary School in Dallas definitely agree that their community liaison, Ana Barbosa sets a great example of a leader that is inspiring. The volunteer team is comprised of parents that truly hold Ms. Barbosa in high regard due to her willingness and commitment to foster an environment of community togetherness. When the Brighter Bites program was first introduced at John Quincy Adams Elementary, it was immediately evident that we would be working with an innovative liaison. Ms. Barbosa quickly created an efficient punch card system to use during our Brighter Bites distribution. This new system has allowed us to have an effortless produce distribution and in turn continues to provide more opportunities to engage with families. Ms. Barbosa is well known for showing her deep appreciation for the volunteers. She hosts numerous volunteer appreciation luncheons and activities throughout the year. Ana Barbosa is a rooting fan of Brighter Bites and when asked what she thought about it she stated “The program is awesome! Especially for the parents, it is helping them tremendously.” She also mentioned that having Brighter Bites at her school has helped the volunteer program grow and almost double in numbers. The staff at Brighter Bites in Dallas is thrilled with Ana’s leadership. The future certainly does look bright at John Quincy Adams Elementary.
Get Kidz Fit Fest
George Farhat, Program Manager Alicia Farhat, Community Relations Specialist Meredith Spence
The Get Kidz Fit Fest was held on Saturday, April 11th in Dallas. It is an annual family fitness festival that educates kids and their families about wellness and nutrition and engages them in fun activities. The kids participate in a variety of physical activities and games like dancing and obstacle courses, while the parents learn about healthier habits and nutrition. Brighter Bites participated in the Get Kidz Fit Fest too and we were really busy! In total, we brought 15 pallets (or 20,000 pounds) of carrots, apples and potatoes to the event. We filled 1600 Brighter Bites bags with that produce and gave them to 800 families. We also distributed our nutrition handbooks to families along with some healthy recipes like the Black Bean and Corn Salsa and the Cheesy Portobello Pizzas. To involve the kids in a more interactive way, we played a Jeopardy-style trivia game. The questions included topics such as fruits, vegetables, physical activity and GO vs. WHOA foods. The kids loved figuring out the answers to the nutrition questions. We even joined them in some physical activity when they were challenged to run in place for 10 seconds or do 10 jumping jacks. We got our workout in that day! The Brighter Bites staff in Dallas really enjoyed being a part of such a fun event! Educating families about healthier habits is what we strive to achieve every day.
A Shining Star at C.F. Carr
At C.F. Carr Elementary in Dallas, Brighter Bites is thriving! The principal, Ms. Ruiz, is an absolute delight to work with and is a cheerleader for our program. Her energy is contagious, making the staff and volunteers excited about the program as well. One volunteer who goes above and beyond is Rebeca Cisneros. Although we always provide the necessary tools for a successful distribution, Rebeca actually created her own Brighter Bites apron to use on the day she volunteers! The pockets of the apron are filled with items she may need including gloves, pens and a box cutter for efficiently bagging produce. Rebeca sets a great example for her granddaughters who always offer to help clean up after the volunteers complete their job. Rebeca has also made several delicious recipes with the Brighter Bites produce and gladly shares pictures of her creations. She even brought pickled carrots and onions for us to try one day — she made them using a recipe from one of our parent handbooks. Rebeca said it was easy to prepare and the vegetables tasted great! We love knowing our families are using the tools we provide them to prepare healthy meals at home. Thanks, Rebeca! You are just one stellar example of the awesome volunteers at C.F. Carr who help the program flourish!
Teaming Up the Mills Way
At Roger Q. Mills Elementary in Dallas, parent involvement is not only recognized, it is also cherished. Two committed volunteers that you will find in the parent involvement room at Mills almost every day of the week are Fay Craig and Samira Sawaqed. These two wonderful ladies work tirelessly to ensure that they are actively participating in their children and grandchildren’s education and school activities, one of them being Brighter Bites. While Samira finishes packing the last items of fresh produce in the Brighter Bites bags at record speeds, Fay is setting up the rosters and parent sign in sheets, ready to greet the families with a smile. Samira’s enthusiasm is overwhelming. “To put it simply,” she says, “I just love Brighter Bites!” Fay loves the program’s mission and the positive affect it’s having on many Mills families, including her own, to eat better quality foods, ensure that the children are well nourished and prepare the students to focus in the classroom. The can-do attitude of these two champion volunteers adds up to a winning formula for Brighter Bites’ success.