Committing to the Work

OPH staff volunteer at Rid-All Green Partnership, a garden in Cleveland, Ohio
OPH staff volunteer at Rid-All Green Partnership in Cleveland, Ohio.

Rid-All Green Partnership

The Rid-All Green Partnership turned what was once an empty, forgotten and
crime-ridden area in Cleveland, Ohio into an amazing 15-acre green oasis with a
focus on getting people on the path of healthy holistic living experiences. This space
is now home to two greenhouses and six large hoop houses for growing vegetables;
an aquaponics tilapia farm that sells and supplies fish to minority chefs and restaurants; and an education center/event space. In September 2023, the Office of Public Health (OPH) partnered with the Rid-All Green Partnership to host a one-day opportunity for the OPH and Cuyahoga Valley National Park teams to learn about community focused, climate action to address food crisis in communities who are underserved. Participants identified new strategies to improve health, build team capacity in a structured volunteer activity, renew commitments to being good stewards of the earth, and get a deeper understanding about our Your Park! Your Health! initiative.

public health professionals in various uniforms pose pose for a picture on stage and in front of stage after an event in an auditorium
Public Health Professionals attend a climate change and health equity event at DOI.

Healing Our Planet:
A Call to Action on Climate and Health Inequity

On Thursday, October 19, 2023, leaders from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, the Office of the Surgeon General, Climate Change Project Echo, and many others discussed the next greatest health challenge of our time. Attendees watched and listened in on a panel discussion between professionals working in various fields to tackle climate and equity issues at their level. As part of this effort, members of the United States Public Health Service shared information about a new US Surgeon General Charter Group called Climate Action, Readiness, Equity (CARE), an initiative to help build the resilience of the nation and the ecosystems on which we depend. The program concluded with excerpts from the new film “Invisible Corps”— a documentary of the 200-year history of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, including its 100-year partnership with the NPS. Watch the recording! Check out upcoming events!

Last updated: December 12, 2023