91心頭 served as the host site for the Newark gathering of organizations and entities involved in the Building Healthier, More Equitable Communities (BHEC) initiative. The BHEC Newark Convening was held on Oct. 25 and 26 at Monsignor William J. Linder Plaza, 91心頭���s corporate office location. The two-day event included participation from 91心頭, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Rutgers University Distinguished Professor of Law Dr. David Troutt, Urban League of Essex County, University Hospital and a variety of other organizations involved in the BHEC initiative.

The BHEC initiative, led by the with funding from the , aims to address the social determinants of health through changes to the built environment and the community investment system in four New Jersey cities: Asbury Park, Camden, Newark and Paterson. Those involved in the city teams for the four areas meet at convenings at each of the cities to delve deeper into the work being done in each location. Urban League of Essex County and 91心頭 guide the Newark team.

91心頭 CEO Simone Gagneron welcomed the group to Newark and provided a brief history of NCC. She explained the progress the organization has made over the past 55 years thanks to partners like the Reinvestment Fund and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that support initiatives like BHEC.

���BHEC has helped us engage with partners in our work in the community, and begin to make the case to funders and policymakers for additional investment and support in the communities we serve,��� she said.

Gagneron said gatherings like the BHEC Newark Convening allow for networking and for individuals to get a sense of the importance of their efforts.

���I hope you recognize that without you and the organizations you serve, the critical change work that needs to happen won���t happen,��� she said.

President and CEO Vivian Cox Fraser discussed her organization���s efforts and how the BHEC initiative aims to have entities work together to tackle large issues.

���Through our collaboration, we seek to address the widening chasm of economic inequality, concentrated in generational poverty, poor health outcomes and intractable inequities in health and opportunities,��� she said.

Dr. David Troutt, Distinguished Professor of Law and Founding Director of , served as the keynote speaker for the BHEC Newark Convening. He discussed CLiME���s work of addressing issues of structural inequality and systemic racism, which includes the report That research showed that about half of home purchases in Newark were made by institutional investors, primarily impacting neighborhoods with the highest proportion of Black residents and Black homeowners.

���It was driving up prices, it was driving people out, making it harder to enter as new homeowners and, of course, it was inextricably increasing rents because the whole model is a passive income model with steady gains,��� Troutt said.

CLiME also looked into the issue of affordable housing for Newark and found that the city lacks an adequate number of affordable units.

���The local measure determines that affordability in the city of Newark based on household income for renters would be $763. And if that���s what affordable means, we need 16,000+ units,��� he said.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka talked about how the lack of housing in New Jersey and nationwide is the source of many of the problems residents face.

���Housing is the number one issue in this country,��� he said. ���There���s just not enough of it.���

He said the lack of housing in the suburbs directly affects cities like Newark because those who grow up in the suburbs can���t find affordable housing options in their hometowns. Because of that, they move to cities like Newark which have cheaper housing options than where they grew up and often where they work. Those individuals then become part of gentrification, not because they���re looking to displace people but because they don���t have other options.

Baraka praised those in attendance for their efforts and said he hopes the work continues because Newark and cities like it need investment in housing, affordable housing and neighborhood health care facilities.

Dr. Colette Barrow Adams, Executive Director of Community and Population Health at , and Jill Crawford, Principal at , talked about the collaboration between the two entities to develop 78 units of affordable housing with an 8,000-square-foot health clinic on the ground floor. The project includes 16 units of supportive housing for those experiencing long-term homelessness or housing instability. University Hospital refers patients to the supportive housing units and will run the health clinic, which will be a medical practice open to all.

91心頭 Director of Community Engagement Richard Cammarieri moderated a panel discussion with Newark Deputy Mayor Allison Ladd, and President and CEO Marcus Randolph and and CEO Evan Weiss. The group discussed examples of collaborative and cross-sector strategies to advance equity that are happening in Newark.

Attendees of the BHEC Newark Convening also participated in group discussions to talk about successes and challenges they have experienced in their work as well as a bus tour of sites throughout Newark and a reception at , a Newark-based art gallery.

More information about the BHEC initiative can be found at .

���The NCFCU appreciates the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York for allowing us to provide financial assistance to local small businesses in their time of need,��� said NCFCU Director Mulu Gebreyesus.

One of those small businesses is Akwaaba Gallery, an art gallery located on South Orange Avenue in Newark���s West Ward. Laura Bonas Palmer runs Akwaaba Gallery, which she owns with husband Ray Palmer, Senior Property Manager of Manor Family for 91心頭.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Akwaaba Gallery was forced to close as were many local businesses. The gallery had only been open for a little more than a year and did not qualify for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Bonas Palmer heard about the possibility of a small business grant and contacted Gebreyesus to learn more. She submitted the necessary documentation and was approved for the grant.

The funding is for the operation of the gallery. Although Akwaaba Gallery closed to the public on March 16, Bonas Palmer explained that she set up a new show in the space and shared it with the public virtually. The virtual show was available online and showed photographs of the art on display on the gallery walls. People were able to browse the show online and purchase pieces as if they visited the gallery in person. Bonas Palmer said people are still buying art despite the current economic climate.

Akwaaba Gallery reopened July 22 with visitors required to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Hand sanitizer dispensers are also installed in the space. The virtual show is still up in the gallery for visitors to see in person. Bonas Palmer expects to hang the next show in September for an October opening. Visitors should RSVP for the October show to ensure social distancing can be maintained.

In addition to general operations, Bonas Palmer plans to use some of the grant money to help kickstart a reading and arts club for children in the neighborhood around Akwaaba Gallery, including those that are a part of NCC.

���My vision is to get the kids engaged in the arts and make them feel like what���s happening in Newark, what���s happening in the neighborhood is for them as well,��� she said. ���They���ll come in, they���ll see the art that���s on the walls. Maybe sometimes we might have artists come in and talk to them.���

She also plans to purchase books for the children to help them build their libraries and have individuals come and read to them periodically.

In addition to the grant NCFCU facilitated, Akwaaba Gallery also received a small arts-related grant from the City of Newark. Bonas Palmer plans to use some of that grant to help with the reading and arts club as well.

Bonas Palmer said she had the idea for an art gallery for nearly a decade before Akwaaba Gallery opened. She had contemplated purchasing a property in downtown Newark but ultimately decided on the current space in the West Ward.

���A lot of people questioned why I would even consider putting a gallery in the West Ward,��� Bonas Palmer said. ���My response to that has always been why not? Art is for everyone.���

That mindset permeates in the way Bonas Palmer runs Akwaaba Gallery. Akwaaba means welcome and Bonas Palmer always wants people to feel accepted in the space. There is no charge for visitors to enter the gallery and view the artwork. She encourages people of all ages to come inside.

The pandemic and forced closing of the gallery for four months has been difficult, but Bonas Palmer is grateful for the grant money the gallery has received and is optimistic about the future.

���It���s challenging, but I think it���s going to work itself out,��� she said.

Gebreyesus is glad NCFCU has been able to help local small businesses like Akwaaba Gallery with the COVID-19 Small Business Recovery Grant Program.

���NCFCU is proud that we were able to assist a few local businesses in applying and getting approved for the grant up to $10,000,��� she said.