PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ed Chinery, Associate Rector and Executive Director of Church of the Ascension and Ascension Outreach Incorporated
2:18:17
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139 sec
Ed Chinery, representing Church of the Ascension and Ascension Outreach Incorporated, testified in support of Intro 641 and related Healthy New York initiatives. He shared experiences from their food pantry program and emphasized the importance of providing healthier food choices, especially for children.
- Highlighted the shift in their food pantry to offer healthier options, including fresh produce and frozen protein
- Cited positive feedback from pantry users regarding improved recovery after medical procedures
- Mentioned survey results showing New York City residents' support for healthier kids meal options at restaurants
- Emphasized the long-term benefits of healthier eating habits for children, including reduced medical care needs
Ed Chinery
2:18:17
Hello.
2:18:17
I'm Ed Chinnery, associate rector of Church of the Ascension here in Greenwich Village, where I also serve as executive director of Ascension Outreach Incorporated, our in house 501c3.
2:18:28
The main focus of our outreach program at present is a client choice food pantry where we serve close to a 1000 individuals each month, the vast majority of whom self identify as monolingual in Chinese.
2:18:40
They are mostly senior citizens as well, and I share this because in the 12 years I've been with this organization, we have found ourselves learning a great deal about the importance of providing healthier food choices.
2:18:52
In response to those that we serve, we have eliminated entirely canned vegetables, canned fruit, and canned protein, and since 2018, have been offering exclusively frozen protein, tofu, and only fresh produce.
2:19:06
We receive, consequently, a fair amount of input from our end users regarding how they fare during and after medical procedures, not only having more comfort in recovery because of the food itself, but feeling more at ease overall.
2:19:20
We also find there's a great deal of literature regarding better nutrition and positive health outcomes, and so we're convinced that if this is the case with senior citizens, then overall benefits must be very compelling as regards children and healthier food intake.
2:19:35
New York City residents support policy efforts to increase the availability of healthier kids meal options at restaurants according to a new survey commissioned by the Center For Science in the Public Interest.
2:19:46
These policies include nutrient standards for restaurant kids meals, requirements for the inclusion of healthy foods in restaurant kids meals, and requirements that restaurants serve healthy beverages with kids meals by default.
2:20:00
We believe that healthier children make healthier adults, and healthier adults require less medical care and far less uncompensated medical care.
2:20:10
The CDC, NIH, and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion offer very powerful support for the rationale behind this legislation at hand today.
2:20:20
And so, I am happy to offer my own gratitude, as well as that of the communities I represent regarding intro 641 and all the related initiatives being advanced by Healthy New York, the Interfaith Public Health Network, and all its allies.
2:20:34
Thank you very much for this opportunity.
