Table 2 Pasadena Vibrant Community’s Collaborating Organizations, Pasadena, Texas, 2017 − 2021

Brighter Bites

Brighter Bites is a Houston-based nonprofit that delivers a comprehensive, multicomponent school program that increases access to fresh vegetables and fruits, combined with nutrition education, for obesity prevention among children from low-income homes and their families. Their goal is to help curb the childhood obesity epidemic in Texas by increasing demand for fresh vegetables and fruits, leading to better family eating habits and improved health outcomes

City of Pasadena Parks and Recreation Department (PARD)

PARD has served the citizens of Pasadena since its establishment in 1964. PARD has been and is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all while providing programming, facilities, and relationships that enrich and enlighten the lives of all families in Pasadena. PARD oversees 42 parks and 4 recreation centers

Harris County Public Health (HCPH)

HCPH is the health department for the unincorporated area of Harris County, Texas, and its 33 independent municipalities: a jurisdiction of 2.1 million people, which includes Pasadena. Guided by the principles of innovation, engagement, and equity, HCPH was named Local Health Department of the Year in 2016. HCPH is committed to deploying resources that support people to be healthy. In addition to providing public health services, HCPH also manages community health improvement efforts, including the Healthy Living Matters (HLM) initiative to curb childhood obesity. HLM Pasadena was a coalition of Pasadena area stakeholders and community members with an interest in the health and wellness of the community who convene to secure funding, add additional support, and build capacity for Pasadena

MD Anderson Center for Energy Balance

The Center for Energy Balance in Cancer Prevention and Survivorship was founded to help bridge the gaps in knowledge surrounding the relationships between physical activity, nutrition, obesity, and cancer. The Center uses advancements in the energy balance research field to improve interventions that modify unhealthy behaviors in people at risk for cancer, patients, and survivors, and to deliver innovative change at the clinical level

Memorial Hermann Community Benefit Corporation (MHCBC)

MHCBC leads population health efforts for the Memorial Hermann Health System. They implement initiatives built on the foundation of 4 intersecting pillars—access to healthcare, emotional well-being, food as health, and exercise is medicine—taking them outside their campuses and into the community

Pasadena Independent School District (PISD)

PISD is among the 30 largest school districts in Texas and one of the fastest growing. It is a majority-minority school district, with 89% of the 55,397 students from a minority group and 77% of students are economically disadvantaged, 60% are considered academically at-risk, and close to 30% are English Language Learners. The mission of PISD is to create unlimited opportunities for students by empowering them to be the best they can be. The district was an early adopter of coordinated school health programming, making investments in teacher training and hiring staff at the district level to address the complex needs of the whole child

YMCA of Greater Houston

As a well-established organization across the US, the YMCA has an incredible track record for delivering and evaluating their evidence-based programs. Sports teach teamwork, discipline, and how to win graciously and how to lose honorably. These are the types of lessons that benefit young people for the rest of their lives. Organized youth sports, such as soccer, are also positively associated with strong academic performance, low juvenile arrest rates, and low teen birth rates. Beyond the social benefits, research indicates that access to publicly provided recreation programs can reduce children’s risk of becoming overweight and obese