A neighborhood’s greatest assets are the people who live there. And nowhere was that more evident than at Hood’s House of Hoops (HHH) on June 13 as West Hill neighborhood residents took us up on our invitation to meet, greet. . .and eat.
In partnership with HHH President and CEO Jamil Hood, Sr., the CDTFC team organized a “Play Hard, Breathe Easy” BBQ to welcome summer and celebrate the West Hill community. And what better way to celebrate than with fun activities, games, prizes, and food catered by West Hill’s own Allie B’s Cozy Kitchen.
HHH is a vital part of the Frank Chapman Memorial Institute (FCMI), a community center offering a wide range of services including afterschool youth programming, senior services, a community garden, and a host of other supports for families in need― in addition to the recreational activities provided by HHH. Most importantly, FCMI provides a safe and welcoming space where community members feel heard and young people are mentored.
The CDTFC team may have supplied the food and the games, but we were very much the beneficiaries of the neighborhood’s generosity of spirit and caring. We look forward to continuing our conversations with those we met and to offering what resources we can to help them build a community where everyone gets the support they need to live a happy and healthy life.
Oh, and keep an eye out for “Smoke- and vape-free” signage on FCMI’s grounds as they formalize their own support for tobacco-free living!
To the left is a typical tobacco product display. If you don’t use tobacco, you may not even notice, but kids do. Kids see. Kids notice. Kids remember. In fact, kids are more than twice as likely as adults to notice and remember retail tobacco marketing.