Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • A West Philly grandmother decided to save summer with a PlayStreet. Then, tragedy struck.

    Philadelphia's PlayStreets program is a nearly 60-year-old program that began as a meal service during the summer "hungry season," when school lunches are not served, but has evolved into a summer camp on 300 city blocks. Fifty blocks are designated "super streets," where high levels of poverty and violence are met with extra resources. On top of the usual meals and games, the city provides play equipment, DJ dance parties, and mural making. In a summer of extreme violence, neighbors say it also provides a sense of security and normalcy, which police credit as a violence-preventive measure.

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  • Listening to Silence: Why We Must Protect the World's Quiet Places

    The nonprofit Quiet Parks International certifies “quiet parks” after performing a detailed sound analysis. Their work is an effort to raise awareness of and increase public support for preserving these locations.

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  • Outside the boxes

    Throughout the United States, health care professionals are beginning to prescribe "time outdoors" as a remedy for physical and mental illnesses in place of pharmaceuticals. Due to the stressors caused by Covid-19, this prescription – which is already being used in 32 states – could begin to play an even larger role in "the health care industry’s approach to treatment."

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  • StrongPeople classes strengthen bodies and friendships in rural Montana

    A group exercise class known as StrongPeople is helping senior citizens in Montana find community and improve their health through progressive strength training. Participants have reported positive results, while studies have also shown that those able to meet the expectations of Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines doubled after people completed the program.

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  • A nonprofit motorcycle club raises money for elderly members

    Senior citizens from the Assyrian community living in Chicago have relied on a motorcycle club for care packages as well as friendly visits from someone who speaks their language. With health guidelines and coronavirus information constantly changing, the language barrier faced by many Assyrian elders makes them even more isolated during the pandemic. Organizations that would typically step in to provide assistance, meal preparation, and translation services have had to cut back their services leaving the motorcycle club, known as the Assyrian Knights, filling an urgent need.

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  • How a Former Dry Cleaners Became a Cleveland Community Hub

    PNC Fairfax Connection is a community center run by PNC Bank but separate from its corporate services. The center is free and accessible to all, was built with community-focused design, and seeks to build strong community ties. Programming is based on member input and ranges from social events to professional development resources. For example, over 400 residents attended a concert hosted by the center and another program helped six formerly incarcerated community members to secure employment with resume creation and interview preparation support. The center is currently closed due to Covid-19.

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  • Gainesville Keeps Some Nature Parks Open, Citing Mental Health Reasons

    As a response to COVID-19, Florida closed its state parks, but in Gainesville, they’ve kept a number of city-owned ones open. Among those open is Sweetwater’s Nature Center, which cites the natural spaces as crucial for exercise and mental health. They’re taking precautions, though – adhering to added protections for workers who don’t feel comfortable working, frequent cleanings, and posting signs along the trail as social distance reminders.

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  • Minneapolis Funding Its Parks With an Eye to Equity

    The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has approved a new scoring system to prioritize parks that are most in need of an investment, from the limited funds available, based on equity measures such as race, income, population density, and crime. This data-driven system is used in conjunction with the park board's judgment of a park's infrastructure and has pinpointed parks which were not typically on the park board's radar for renovation.

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  • Even Parks Are Going Online During the Pandemic

    As cities in the U.S. are placed under various degrees of lockdown, organizations are working to virtually bring "environmental education and recreation to viewers, from the comfort of their homes." Although virtual walks and live talks with park rangers are not a replacement for the lived experience, studies have shown that this type of contact does offer some benefits to mental health and well-being.

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  • Veterans with PTSD have found physical activity is an effective treatment

    To help veterans struggling to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder, the Phoenix VA Health Care System has started using sports and outdoor recreation as a means of therapy. Although it does not replace medications or act as a cure-all, this practice has been shown to reduce symptoms and can lead to a reduction in medications.

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