January 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 51

has been established
to support
participation and eliminate financial
barriers to the programs for
older adults with limited income.
2021
Emilie Harmeyer, ShreveCorps
Program Director, Shreveport
Green program, in conjunction
with Caddo Parish (Louisiana)
Parks and Recreation
Led by Emilie Harmeyer, the
Shreveport Green program enabled
adults of all ages and backgrounds
to earn living allowances and scholarships
through membership in the
ShreveCorps AmeriCorps program,
all while increasing their own understanding
of nutrition, gardening,
and personal and professional
development. Harmeyer's work led
to the creation of 10 new community
gardens and the revitalization of
three others. The program's flagship
garden, the MLK Community Garden,
was founded in partnership
with Caddo Parish Parks and Recreation
and is a quarter-acre plot that
includes fruit trees, vegetables and
gathering spaces. The garden also is
home to a wide variety of community
events, such as volunteer projects,
workshops and potlucks. With
this network of gardens, Harmeyer
aspired to make fresh fruits and vegetables
accessible to people in all
areas of Shreveport. Additionally,
Harmeyer consulted on Shreveport
Green's Mobile Market program, offering
mini farmers markets in food
deserts throughout Shreveport to
increase access to fresh vegetables.
During her time directing this program,
Harmeyer expanded it from
four monthly locations to 10 and
extended the season to year-round.
In 2020, she adapted the program
to meet coronavirus (COVID-19)
safety regulations, providing weekVelma
Bailey, founder
and CEO of Saint
Louis Torchbearers 2,
received the Health
Equity Spotlight Award
in 2022.
ly deliveries of five to 10 pounds of
produce and healthy recipes directly
to beneficiaries' doors.
2022
Velma Bailey, Founder and CEO,
Saint Louis Torchbearers 2
Velma Bailey established Saint
Louis Torchbearers 2, a grassroots
nonprofit, with the goal to build
partnerships with government, private,
social, cultural and civic entities
to introduce a systems-change
approach to improve health equity,
teach youth to serve as good stewards
of the environment, and increase
public safety among youth.
The coalition, including a formal
partnership with the St. Louis Department
of Parks, Recreation and
Forestry, successfully established
ways to positively impact the health,
welfare and safety of inner-city children
through a 10-week summer
day camp. Each year, 50 children,
parents, diverse partners and 100
volunteers join to participate in
hours of outdoor recreation activities
and eat nutritious food to improve
the cognitive, social/emotional,
physical and spiritual well-being
of the campers, plus gain access to
transportation to take 20 field trips.
During the COVID-19 pandemic,
Bailey and her partners were able
to offer valuable academic, life and
career awareness skills. Many of the
partners were able to instruct students
virtually via Zoom thanks to a
partner organization that provided
a " hot spot " and electronic devices
in a park location.
Learn More
NRPA is grateful for the opportunity
to honor these park and recreation
champions through
this
partnership with RWJF. For more
information about NRPA's award
program, visit nrpa.org/Awards.
To hear more about how these
RWJF-NRPA Award for Health Equity
winners have worked to advance
health equity, tune in to the January
bonus episode of Open Space Radio
at
nrpa.org/January2023Bonus
Episode.
Maureen Neumann (she/her) is Senior Health Program
Manager at NRPA (mneumann@nrpa.org).
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | J ANUAR Y 2 0 2 3
| Parks & Recreation
51
http://www.nrpa.org/Awards http://www.nrpa.org/January2023BonusEpisode http://www.nrpa.org/January2023BonusEpisode
January 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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