Essex County College Helps Promote Healthy Eating In Newark

NEWARK, NJ — Several children in Newark got a chance to brush up on their knowledge about fresh fruits and vegetables thanks to Essex County College's partnership with nonprofit America's Grow-a-Row (AGAR).

According to a school news release, AGAR, a non-profit organization that grows and distributes fresh fruit and vegetables around the state, teamed up with the Essex County College's Child Development Center (CDC) last spring to offer healthy eating and living workshops to local children.

Volunteers from AGAR came to the college’s Newark campus on Nov. 4 to pass out their final bags of produce of the season to the children. After helping to bring in the boxes of produce, Supervisor of Physical Education Building Operations Gerald Holloway and a team of his student volunteers filled dozens of bags with the food along with recipes and other health-related information.

AGAR's Heather Mulvey, Jules Palmer and Susan Kalfaian then went to each CDC classroom, talked to the children and handed them the produce-laden bags.

"This program has turned out to be more of a success than I expected," CDC Director Deloris Grimsley said.

Photo: Essex County College