The grant is part of the “Invest Health” initiative by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a Philadelphia organization named Reinvestment Fund.
The Paterson team will research a variety of ways to improve public health, including crime prevention, improved access to food, the development of new parks, and the reduction of school absenteeism, according to a press release announcing the grant.
The group includes the United Way of Passaic County, which wrote the grant application, along with the Paterson Housing Authority, Paterson Habitat for Humanity and St. Paul’s Community Development Corporation.
“United Way of Passaic County is honored to lead this project for Paterson as we work together to explore new ways to improve the drivers of community health,” said Yvonne Zuidema, the organization’s president and chief executive officer, in a written statement. “We are excited to build off of work that we and the team members have already started in building healthy communities.”