In New York and other cities, substantial evidence documents that community food environments interact with inequitable allocation of power, wealth, and services to shape the distribution of diet-related diseases and food insecurity. This case study shows how one Central Brooklyn community organization, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, has launched multiple coordinated food initiatives in order to reduce the burden of food-related health problems and boost community development. The report used standard case study methods to document the implementation of the New York City Food and Fitness Partnership in Central Brooklyn. The case study shows how two distinct strands of activities, a Farm to Early Care Program that ultimately brought fresh food to 30 child care centers, and a food hub that sought to make fresh local food more available in Central Brooklyn, intersected and reinforced each other. It also shows how organizational, community, and municipal resources and policies in some cases supported these initiatives and in others served as obstacles. Finally, the case study shows that multiple coordinated strategies have the potential to empower low-income Black and Latino communities to act to make local food environments healthier and more equitable.

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Catalytic leadership is a type of multidimensional leadership that facilitates cross-sector collaboration to enact systems and policy changes within communities. Catalytic leaders provide opportunities for stakeholders to partner and merge their efforts to create new opportunities for their work. Catalytic leaders are individuals, organizations, and collaborative partnerships that stimulate partnership alliances. Additionally, catalytic partnerships facilitate the process of collaboration through encouraging and supporting stakeholders to work together effectively and successfully. This article provides examples of catalytic leadership roles that emerged from the Food & Fitness community partnerships. These partnerships were funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to increase access to locally grown food and safe places to play for children and families through systems and policy changes in communities throughout the United States. Key strategies and types of support (i.e., informational and instrumental support) provided through Food & Fitness catalytic leadership that sustained the work of these partnerships was discussed. Based on catalytic leadership strategies identified and types of support provided, outcomes that emerged from this work were also described. We conclude with key recommendations for community partnerships interested in serving as catalytic leaders for large-scale initiatives in their communities.

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