Bridgeport, CT – Today, Mayor Ganim announced that the City of Bridgeport was awarded a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Conference of Mayors to help combat childhood obesity and use funds towards environmental health and sustainability. Bridgeport came in second place for medium-sized cities for the award which will assist with healthy eating initiatives within the City by having access to fresh produce through community gardens. The City’s Health Department plans on encouraging child engagement by establishing these community gardens at schools in Bridgeport in which a selected class will be responsible for growing produce. Those students will then be able to take home fresh fruits and vegetables while encouraging healthy eating within their families. 

Mayor Ganim stated, “We know that having healthy food helps our residents feel great, from the inside and out. We want the best for our growing children in this City and because of the grant, we will be able to continue to provide fresh produce for our children in the City, but to the rest of our residents as well. This award couldn’t have been made possible without the leadership of our Health Director, Dr. Elizabeth Rivera-Rodriguez, our Grants Department, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. I thank everyone involved in this process for making this happen for Bridgeport.”