White House SC2 - Community Health Roundtable achieves success in Rocky Mount, NC

(Left to right) Tasha Ford Logan City of Rocky Mount, Regional Administrator Ron Bailey, USDA FNS and HUD SE Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. discuss healthcare and housing challenges.

SC2 Rocky Mount, NC Health Roundtable discuss local healthcare concerns.

At the request of USDA-Food Nutritional Services Regional Administrator Robin Bailey, and David Glasgow SC2 lead in Rocky Mount, North Carolina an invitation was extended to HUD Regional Administrator Ed Jennings recently to participate in a roundtable discussion of ways to improve health outcomes for individuals and families living in the region with a particular focus of providing improved access to healthy food, housing and increased physical activity.

"Improving Community Health through Better Nutrition & Healthy Living" was held on Friday, January 23, 2015 at Booker T Theater in Rocky Mount.

Mr. Jennings cited the need for agencies to work together. He issued an open invitation for other agencies to partner with HUD to provide more affordable housing for middle class and low-income consumers. Mr. Jennings also mentioned the impact that Rental Assistance and Demonstration (RAD) will have on the public housing process.

Regional leaders from a number of federal agencies came to hear about the impact of innovative local programs from local health and education leaders working in the Twin Counties of Edgecombe and Nash, NC. They also shared information on federal initiatives and the work underway to better coordinate among agencies to increase the impact of services to improve the lives and livelihoods of people in the Tar River region and across the nation.

One such information sharing and ambitious goal presented by Jennings and echoed by Bailey is to provide 100% Summer Food program opportunities to school age children in the area by the end of next year. That topic was very well received and is a topic of major discussion going forward.

There were approximately 20 local participants in this roundtable; representing healthcare, nutrition and fitness programs in the Rocky Mount area and 3-5 federal agencies.

The Round Table was chaired by Mr. Charles Penny, Rocky Mount City Manager. In addition to HUD Regional Administrator Jennings, Mr. Randy Gore, State Director, USDA Rural Development, Mr. Bob Ethridge (former State Representative) were noted participants. Mr. Gore opened the discussion by citing the need for more rural housing. He stated that his agency has submitted funding requests for additional housing in the Rocky Mount area. Local leaders are connected in a new way and committed to strengthening those relationships to better coordinate efforts.

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