An award-winning initiative, the Shreveport/Bossier Community Renewal (SBCR) is an effort to rebuild the social bonds within the Shreveport region of Louisiana, a low-income area with high crime rates.

In the Pico Union/MacArthur Park area of Los Angeles-home to a diverse Latino population-the Los Angeles Economic Development Zone provides services to under-employed and unemployed residents to help them become licensed to prepare, handle, and sell food products that are healthy and reflect the culture of local community.

Recognizing that "undoing racism," and embracing cultural diversity are keys to eliminating persistent health disparities in the city of Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission led a multi-faceted initiative that began with an institutional assessment in which the Commission asked the question, "how is racism at play here?"

Like many rural communities, Teton Valley faces increasing pressure to develop agricultural, farm, and natural lands to accommodate a growing population. In response, residents and advocates are advancing policy solutions to help preserve their natural resources while creating an environment that supports physical activity. Teton Valley Trails and Pathways (TVTAP) represents 500 active, dues-paying residents working to shape the valley so that it will continue to support physical activity opportunities.

An innovative partnership focusing on Roxbury and Dorchester in Boston, Massachusetts uses affordable techniques to minimize exposure to lead in inner-city yards-a contemporary environmental hazard linked to developmental disabilities and learning delays, particularly among children under six, living in older, urban homes.

Working intensively in the low-income city of Muskegon, Michigan, this relatively new organization is galvanizing support for a local, sustainable food system and hopes to get a statewide initiative on the 2010 ballot that will declare healthy, sustainable food as a right for every Michigan resident.

In the rural town of Wray, Colorado a coalition builds a neighborhood walking path, basketball court and other features to make fitness fun for people of all ages by soliciting community buy-in and creating social support for activity.

This statewide advocacy center works at the nexus of nutrition, hunger, and poverty as it coordinates a network of nutrition activists and professionals to advocate for statewide legislation to improve school nutrition, increase participation in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, and increase the minimum wage.

Utilizing a grassroots model, this effort engages community members, including ex-gang members, in the creation and painting of murals that improve aesthetics and transform neighborhoods in urban, economically disenfranchised communities throughout Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A partnership between the Salinas Public Library and local school districts provided all students with library cards, free of charge and application-free. This simple, yet innovative, change in practice has resulted in more young people reading, engaging in meaningful opportunities, having a safe place to gather, and connecting with their community.