CAN DO Houston

Welcome!

CAN DO Houston is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit preventing and reducing childhood obesity with a fundamentally different approach. Through our grassroots initiatives, we empower individuals in neighborhoods at greater risk for childhood obesity to advocate for changes in healthy eating and active living in their communities. We also fill the gap between existing resources and neighborhoods in need of them through our vast partnership.

Get involved!

CAN DO Houston's Partnership Meeting

The next CAN DO Houston Partnership Meeting will take place on Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 8:30 am. The meeting will be held at the Judson Robinson Community Center. We look forward to an effective meeting of idea sharing and networking!

Upcoming Event: Free Gardening Class

Beauty’s Community Garden is offering a free gardening class on Saturday, April 6th at 10:00am. The garden is located at 3201 Airline (at the corner of E 32nd St.) Houston, Texas. Please remember to invite your friends and family to join you at this free gardening class. Children are welcome, but must be accompanied by a parent. Great things are happening and they are so grateful that you are joining the journey. We look forward to seeing you!

Recent Event: Childhood Obesity: Pieces of the Puzzle

On February 28th, 2013, the Houston Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics partnered with the Rice University Kinder Institute Urban Health Program, Healthy Living Matters, CAN DO Houston, and the Mayor’s Healthy Houston Task Force to present this event. They were honored to have a Host Committee including Texas Representative Alma Allen and Houston City Council Members Ed Gonzalez, Jack Christie, and Stephen C. Costello supporting the event.

The evening included a networking reception, brief presentations from partner organizations, and an interactive panel discussion moderated by popular local media personality Minerva Perez on community based, clinical, and policy level solutions.

Our newest initiatives

We initiated a successful Leadership and Advocacy Training in Sunnyside that resulted in a community based group of advocates, Sunnyside on the Bayou. This group has identified priority issues to be addressed in the community that will facilitate healthy eating and active living and is applying the skills they learned from the training to mobilize solutions through grassroots advocacy.

We also collaborated with VeggiePals to start Mobile Produce Units to provide cheap, fresh produce in places affected by food deserts, including one in Fifth Ward near Swiney Park and Bruce Elementary every Tues/Thurs 3-5PM.

We are continuing to teach communities about nutritious, affordable, culturally-adapted food options through Healthy Cooking and Lifestyle Classes. The next series of classes will occur this month in Sunnyside at Kandy Stripe Academy, in Near Northside at Berry Elementary, and in Fifth Ward at Bruce Elementary.