Making a difference

In 2015, a “bunch of Freehold leaders” sat around a table looking to make a difference in the health of the community.

Looking at county health rankings and local hospital data, the group recognized that borough residents were experiencing poor health outcomes at much higher rates than surrounding communities due to social factors such as income, race, and immigration – all played a role in this inequity.

Additionally, barriers such as transportation and language further prevented people from accessing what they needed when it came to their health. The group noted Freehold Borough often is overlooked when it comes to public school funding and the allocation of community resources.

The culmination of these things led to the formation of the Neighborhood Connections to Health (NCTH) steering committee, which became a board of directors in 2019. They obtained nonprofit status in 2020 and have been steadfast in their mission to “make a difference for the Freehold Borough community, particularly those who are impacted by the social determinants of health.”

Currently Jenna Sistad leads the organization as executive director, Karen Ubeda connects families to resources as the bilingual community health worker, Carly Trill serves as manager of program development, and Wagner Menendez maintains the organization’s social media sites.

Those “bunch of Freehold leaders” – now the organization’s board of trustees – support the four leaders as they continue the organization’s mission to “build community partnerships to connect all Freehold residents to healthy living.”

“I was introduced to the coalition before NCTH was an actual nonprofit,” Sistad recalled, noting the coalition created a blueprint for action, surveyed the community on priority areas and created four subgroups – lead poisoning prevention, walk/bike safety, intergenerational programming and access to healthy food.

“I’m proud to have been part of the whole journey which allowed me to meet many wonderful people along the way.”

Sistad formally joined the staff as executive director in January 2022 reporting to the “very active” board of trustees.

“… I manage the finances and oversee the business operations of the nonprofit,” she said, adding it has been an honor to work with her team and the board.

“It’s been a wonderful experience. I truly believe in the mission and work of Neighborhood Connections.”

Ubeda connects families in Freehold to resources that they need as the bilingual community health worker for Neighborhood Connections to Health.

“The services people often need from me include health appointments, lead tests, vaccines, healthy food, baby items and much, much more,” she said. “I’m able to work with different partners to gain different resources. I am our sole Spanish speaker for the organization, meaning much of my work includes translating verbally for meetings and documents.”

Ubeda began her journey to Neighborhood Connections to Health as a parent leader in Freehold advocating for her children and community about health, safety and education. There she learned about NCTH.

“I’ve been with NCTH for over five years and have made many friendships within Freehold, and I am fortunate enough to call this community home.”

Trill came to Neighborhood Connections to Health just under five years ago after learning about an open position that they had.

“… I felt compelled to apply as the organization’s mission and values really spoke to me,” she said. “I’m passionate about social justice and human rights, and health equity falls right in line with that.

“In my position as manager of program development, I work on sustaining our coalition which is comprised of all of our partners and volunteers in the Freehold area, building new relationships and partnerships to advance our community’s health, engaging the community in projects, coordinating events, communications, and more.

“Most of all, I am passionate about building community, which is really the core of NCTH. I’m thankful to be part of such an amazing team, and surrounded by so many awesome partners,” Trill said.

Menendez, who has been an active resident, learned about NCTH at the beginning of the pandemic.

“I wanted to find a way to do more and give back to my community,” she said. “I volunteered during one of their mobile food pantries, and after expressing interest in doing more with the organization, I was brought on as a social media consultant.

“I maintain very active Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter profiles for NCTH, keeping the community updated with all of our events/programs. I also share content from our partners, so that we can serve as a platform for relevant health information. I attend events to do Facebook live, take photos, do staff/volunteer interviews, and more so that we can share on our platforms.

“In addition, I volunteer as a leader of the bike/walk group, and hosted monthly bike rides this past spring, summer, and now fall,” Menendez said.

Pillars

Neighborhood Connections focuses on a number of pillars. In recent years, they’ve added pillars, such as healthcare access, vaccine access, and disability inclusion in healthcare.

• Healthy food – What began as an effort to reduce food insecurity and increase healthy eating habits has given birth to a variety of initiatives. Over the years, NCTH has played a role in increasing food resources here in Freehold Borough, through things like partnership with Fulfill’s Mobile Food Pantry (hosted twice monthly in Freehold Borough by NCTH), participation in the Freehold Food Safety Net – a partnership between all food providing/social service agencies in the area, pop-up produce distributions, and Downtown Freehold Farmer’s Market vouchers (thanks to grant funding and sponsorships).

More recently, the ultimate crossover has taken place. The organization’s Healthy Food pillar has merged with its Intergenerational Connections pillar to form the Freehold Intergenerational Community Kitchen. A dedicated group of volunteers from both groups came up with the idea, wrote for grant money, and ultimately won grant funds to launch the program.

This program, which is an opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to come together twice a month to learn new recipes and cook together, piloted in August 2022 and has continued through the present. Countless healthy/cultural recipes have been cooked by participants in this program, but the most emphasized highlight from participants was the social connections that they gained from the program. Participants enjoyed meeting new people, learning about different cultures, and forming friendships with others in the kitchen. This among many other food access efforts continue through NCTH.

• Bike/Walk – The bikability/walkability committee of NCTH formed after recognizing that many residents of Freehold Borough do not have a car, and therefore use walking/biking as mode of transport. A group of dedicated volunteers met one to two times per month to discuss and assess the most important biker/pedestrian safety concerns in the borough. Eventually, the group moved to perform a walk audit at the public elementary school that would be turned into an application for the New Jersey Safe Routes to School Funding.

Through a partnership with the Borough of Freehold, NCTH continues in efforts to make infrastructural improvements to benefit bikers/walkers. Today, through the dedication of volunteer leaders, NCTH holds monthly group bike rides/walks throughout town. The group has also campaigned for bike safety, installed more bike racks, and distributed free helmets, through the support of funders/sponsors.

• Lead poisoning/tenants association – In recognition of the majority pre-1978 housing stock of Freehold Borough, NCTH decided that Lead Poisoning Prevention was going to be an integral part of our organization. In collaboration with the Freehold Area Health Department, NCTH provided lead education at different venues in the community, targeting parents of young children. The education helped parents to understand the potential hazard of lead in their home, how to know if their family is at risk of exposure, and ways to mitigate the risk of lead exposure.

Through grant funding, this evolved into a home visit program where NCTH screened homes for lead paint. Through additional partnerships, NCTH was able to refer residents to organizations such as CARC (Communities Affairs and Resource Center), whom were able to take a lead hazardous home and turn it into a lead-safe home through remediation.

Additionally, the active board of trustees were able to advocate for the passage of a lead-safe housing ordinance in Freehold Borough, which required lead inspections at tenant turnover or otherwise, periodically, to protect tenants. As this pillar has evolved, its main vehicle is now the Freehold Tenant Association. This active group of borough residents meets monthly to discuss housing concerns within the community, and come up with solutions for these issues together. The group has secured countless resources/speakers to educate on pertinent topics, has campaigned for tenants’ rights, and has empowered so many borough residents.

• Intergenerational/FICC – NCTH formed Freehold Intergenerational Community Council (FICC) to meet the community needs identified in focus groups to reduce isolation through increased civic engagement. When the coalition first began, the Intergenerational pillar would host events and activities in the community that promoted connection between generations. The intergenerational approach is supported by evidence-based research and suggested by the youth and seniors participating in those groups.

To prepare FICC members to address these challenges, NCTH employed the training curriculum “Leadership for All Ages: Generations Working Together to Strengthen Communities.” Saturday mornings, starting in December 2021, a group of strangers began training to find meaningful connections and new skills to best serve the community.

COVID and social distancing were no hindrance, as NCTH leadership used Zoom meetings to guide all through innovative experiences and lessons. FICC members realized that their life journey, no matter the length, gave a unique perspective on both community challenges and solutions. Armed with connections and vision, FICC examined all that comprises the Freehold community.

It is a culmination of this journey that set FICC in motion, allowing members to reduce the social isolation in their community by fostering civic engagement. FICC is currently recruiting new members.

• FFHC/Vaccines (COVID) – NCTH also plays a role in direct healthcare services. Through NCTH’s original set of focus groups, it became apparent to us that the community would benefit greatly from a Federally Qualified Health Center. NCTH, as well as many other community leaders and partners, advocated for an FQHC to be brought to Freehold Borough.

In 2019, this vision came to fruition. A collaboration between VNA of Central Jersey, CentraState Healthcare System, and Rutgers University, birthed the Freehold Family Health Center. This center can serve all, regardless of insurance, and can even support those without health insurance. It is not only a center for primary care, but over 15 different medical services, including, podiatry, gynecology, and other specialties.

In 2021, NCTH formed a strong partnership with the center, with the goals of making the Freehold Borough community aware of its existence, and connecting people to the center that need care. Through the collaboration, hundreds of individuals have been referred to the center for care, and thousands have been educated about the center. NCTH also partners with the Freehold Area Health Department and Casa Freehold to provide COVID-19 and Flu vaccines on a monthly basis at no cost to community members in need. This effort was in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Disability Inclusion – NCTH is weaving disability inclusion into the fabric of its organization thanks to funders, sponsors, and partners for their ongoing support and collaboration.

Funded by an Inclusive Healthy Communities Grant from the Division of Disability Services, New Jersey Department of Human Services, and in partnership with the Borough of Freehold and Freehold Family Health Center, they are asking questions such as: What are the barriers to healthcare for individuals with disabilities? How can we enhance our existing healthcare systems to better serve individuals with disabilities?

The organization’s approach is to include individuals with disabilities in this project, and create space for their voices to drive change. The organization has spent the past years building relationships and trust within the disability community, as well as facilitating focus group discussions.

Over the next two years, they will be factoring these discussions into their own five-year strategic plan, fostering a disability-centered Patient Advisory Council, and making structural/systemic improvements to the Freehold Family Health Center that support disability access.

Neighborhood Connections to Health is located at 597 Park Ave., Suite C in Freehold. For more information call (908) 692-7338 or visit www.ncthnj.org.