Operation CHOICES began in 2009 as a response to families and staff in shelter requesting support around nutrition and safe opportunities for physical activity. The Homeless Health Initiative (HHI) has had great success in developing this evidence-based program which is uniquely tailored to the shelter environment.  

Operation CHOICES has helped to transform shelter practices, supporting staff to serve healthier food options in a culturally sensitive way, and influenced the city’s food distribution to maximize fresh produce and healthy menu selections. HHI began Operation CHOICES with two components: SPARK for children and Women’s Wellness for mothers. Currently, we incorporate tenets from Women’s Wellness – empowering parents to make healthy choices for themselves and their families – into our Health Education Workshops.

Safe Physical Activity & Recreation for Kids (SPARK)

SPARK is a fitness and nutrition program for children developed in collaboration with the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Fellowship Program at CHOP. Designed to model healthy activities and cooperative play, this program provides opportunities for children living in shelters to be active and learn about healthy choices through fun activities. Volunteers receive training, ongoing supervision and support from program leadership to facilitate a structured trauma-informed curriculum that provides opportunities for fun play while learning healthy lifestyle choices. 

If you are interested in volunteering for SPARK, please email the HHI team.

Community advocacy and collaboration

To further our efforts to increase access to culturally sensitive nutrition, safe physical activity, and healthy food options, HHI works to share its experiences with other organizations, city officials and community agencies at local and national conferences.  

Community groups interested in replicating Operation CHOICES are encouraged to contact the HHI team.