Apple Corps fights the root causes of obesity, malnutrition and hunger in underserved communities. We are a team of National Service Members guided by the belief that all people deserve to live healthful lives. In this work, Apple Corps collaborates with schools, community groups and local organizations to educate children about nutrition and physical activity, improve policies affecting child health, and connect families to health-promoting resources.
1) Eat Better, Feel Better – Apple Corps supports nutrition and physical activity programs, policies and partnerships at five Seattle Elementary Schools as a partner of the Eat Better, Feel Better Initiative. This program collaborates with the Seattle Nutrition Action Consortium (S.N.A.C.) to implement nutrition and fitness activities integral to a healthy school environment. Apple Corps:
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Educates students in the classroom through cross-curricular lessons (such as math, science, literacy and art), cooking demonstrations and taste tests.
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Involves parents through family-oriented activities.
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Implements school wellness policies.
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Provides structured recess activities and other fitness-based programming.
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Leads school gardening initiatives.
Schools Partnering with the Eat Better, Feel Better Initiative include: Concord, Emerson, Maple, John Muir and Van Asselt.
2) Mission: Delicious – Apple Corps coordinates this school-based assembly-style program with additional classroom and take-home elements. This program was developed in partnership with Cooking Matters, S.N.A.C. and Seattle Public Schools. Offered at elementary schools throughout the Seattle area, Mission: Delicious teaches students food preparation skills and the importance of eating a well-balanced diet through fun, interactive programming. Elementary schools that report 50% or more students enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program are eligible for this program.
3) After-school Programs – Apple Corps creates opportunities for nutrition education and fitness by implementing activities and lessons in after-school programs and community centers. These programs teach young people about healthy eating for a lifetime through cooking demonstrations, nutrition education and a physical education component.
Apple Corps places National Service Members in community organizations dedicated to eliminating health disparities for underserved children and families throughout Seattle and King County. For 2011/2012, we have placed members in the following three Seattle organizations:
1) Lettuce Link, a program of Solid Ground, is an innovative food and gardening program that has been growing and giving since 1988. The program creates access to fresh, nutritious and organic produce, seeds and gardening information for low-income families in Seattle. We work to educate the community about food security and sustainable food production.
2) Feet First is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advocacy organization promoting walkable communities in Washington State, with a focus on the Puget Sound Region. Founded in 1996 to promote the rights and interests of pedestrians and to encourage walking, they help people take simple steps to creating better places to live, learn, shop, work and play – a world that cares about health, community and design.
3) Danny Woo International District Community Garden – Interim CDA is a special urban agricultural site in the heart of downtown Seattle, and the largest green space in the Chinatown/International District. The 1.5-acre garden provides community gardening space, picnic benches, public art, and walking trails. Interim CDA manages this urban space, coordinating hundreds of volunteers every year to maintain and improve the Danny Woo Community Garden for everyone to enjoy.
4) King County Food & Fitness Initiative works to foster collaborative leadership among diverse community partners to co-create long-term, innovative strategies to realize their vision of equitable access to resources and choices that promote health. To achieve their goals, they actively engage with communities and youth in planning, decision making, and fun activities.
5) Partners in Caring (PIC), a program of Solid Ground, works to improve the quality of life and independence of seniors and people with disabilities living in Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) facilities by increasing access to food and nutrition resources. The PIC Grocery Delivery Project provides weekly deliveries of culturally appropriate groceries to residents who have barriers to accessing other food sources and are at high risk for hunger and isolation. Additional services include transportation to Community Kitchens, bi-monthly grocery shopping trips, and educational onsite events.
Past partners include:
- Volunteer! For more info about our current volunteer needs, please contact us at applecorps@solid-ground.org.
- Donate gift cards! Apple Corps happily accepts gift cards from QFC, Safeway, or any Seattle grocery store that allows flexible purchasing of healthy fruits, vegetables and cooking products.
- Apply for AmeriCorps! Apple Corps Members are provided through the Washington Service Corps.
- In addition to the Apple Corps program, Solid Ground coordinates several National Service programs with more than 100 stipended positions throughout Seattle & King County.
- Apple Corps brochure
- Community Vitality: This interactive website (created through a partnership between Magic Johnson and Apple Corps supporter, Aetna) includes a lot of great information — such fast food calorie counts, lower-fat alternatives to them, and healthy recipes.
Apple Corps Recipes
NEW RECIPE! Green Smoothies: Can you guess what makes it green?
Ingredients:
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 cup plain low fat yogurt
- 1 cup frozen berries, or other frozen fruit
- 1 banana (frozen if desired)
- Spinach (until the smoothie turns as green as you like!)
Preparation:
1) In a blender, add juice, yogurt, berries, and banana.
2) Blend together.
3) Add spinach and blend until it gets really green!
4) Pour into cups and enjoy!
Green Smoothie Nutrition Information
Green Smoothies are a great way to get children and adults to eat healthy leafy green
vegetables like spinach.
- Spinach – Spinach has more nutrients than any other food. It is high in vitamin A, B12, C and K. It also has lots of manganese, iron and folate. Because it has so many nutrients, it helps protect our bodies from many diseases like osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis.
- Blueberries – Blueberries are high in vitamin C, antioxidants and fiber. They boost the immune system and prevent damage to cells that cause health problems such as glaucoma, heart disease and cancer.
- Bananas – Bananas are a good source of vitamin B6, potassium and vitamin C. They are good for your immune system as well as your blood and circulatory system and have been shown to reduce high blood pressure.
- Yogurt – Yogurt is a very good source of calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin-vitamin B2, iodine and protein. It is good for you muscles and bones. It also helps lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.
Phone: 206.694.6711
TTY: 7.1.1
Email: applecorps@solid-ground.org
FAX: 206.694.6777
Address: Apple Corps
Solid Ground
1501 North 45th Street
Seattle, WA 98103-6708