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Community Matters
Each week we’ll highlight a new group or program, and present updates on previously listed initiatives. Please contact us and tell us what you’re doing so we can create a clearinghouse of ideas that will hopefully teach, inspire, and motivate others to do their part in making their own community a healthy, invigorating place to live. |
Are you involved with a local effort to help Latinos take charge of their health and discover the strength of community support? The LNC wants to hear from you! We’re building this community page to learn about nationwide efforts to promote the importance of friends, family, culture, and how the use of healthy traditional foods impacts overall Latino wellness.
Spotlight Feature: The Greenfield Walking Group
Location: Bakerfield, CA
Contact: Jennifer Lopez, Healthy Living Outreach Facilitator (661) 205-3743
Bakersfield mothers Gema Perez and Daliflor Loya met in 2006 during a nutrition class at 
the Greenfield Family Resource Center. Recognizing that physical activity was as critical to good health as eating right, they banded together to start the Greenfield Walking Group. That fall, two dozen women, many of them Spanish-speaking farm workers, began meeting for a daily walk and aerobic workout in the city's Steirn Park. The park, however, was a hazardous obstacle course, littered with hypodermic needles, broken bottles, aggressive stray dogs, roving gang members and shot-out lights. Not only was the park dangerous, so was the route to get there, with pedestrians having to cross four lanes of high-speed traffic.
(Gema Perez featured, right).
The walking group decided to take action. With the help of Jennifer Lopez of the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program, the group spearheaded a Walkability Assessment in the spring of 2007. The Walking Group to raised $10,000 from local businesses and recruited 100 volunteers for the intensive workday it took to physically construct the path.
"They started early, before dawn, and it took 10 hours in the heat of Bakersfield," recalls Lopez. "The volunteers came in waves, each group providing relief for the previous one—first the men, then the women, then the teenagers. The final shoveling of dirt was done by children. It was amazing."
In just two years, local health improvements were dramatic: Regular walkers have experienced substantial individual weight loss (up to 80 pounds), along with reduced stress and increased self-esteem. The group also worked with local youth on a public-private partnership to build a new playground in the park. The group is now working with researchers at UCLA to capture data illustrating the change in park usage.
But the impact extends well beyond their own community: The group—now up to 60 members—is assisting those who want to increase walkability in other cities, and has joined forces with groups such as the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition, It's Our Healthcare, and the California Convergence to advocate for prevention-oriented policy changes on a regional, state and national level. A lively Fotonovela recounting their story is being distributed to 20,000 readers in eight counties throughout the Central Valley.
Featured in both print and television news reports, the Greenfield Walking Group serves as a model of how residents themselves can lead the way in creating healthy communities, working in partnership with local organizations. Well Done!
To learn more about the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program, go to www.ccropp.org
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Spotlight Feature: A Chula Vista School District Reinvents the School Cafeteria
Location: Chula Vista, California
Contact: Nancy Stewart, Director, Food Services, Sweetwater Union High School District, (619) 585-4407
Chula Vista is the second largest city in San Diego County, after the city of San Diego itself, its larger and more affluent neighbor to the north. About half of Chula Vista’s residents are Latino, a population at disproportionately high risk for obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes. Chula Vista’s Sweetwater Union High School District has tackled the obesity problem head-on, through an ambitious combination of changes to its food service program and its physical education curriculum.
In 2006, Sweetwater schools adopted a wellness policy that included a ban on junk food, candy, and soft drinks on school campuses, the introduction of healthy new menus in school cafeterias, and a transformation of the physical education curriculum.
Healthy Eating, Active Communities, a statewide initiative funded by The California Endowment, has supported these and other efforts to reduce risk factors. “It’s not only what you serve, but how you serve it,” says Nancy Stewart, food services director for Sweetwater Union High School District, who spearheaded the food service changes at six schools including Otay Ranch High cafeteria where the program was first piloted. Her successful innovations include healthier menu offerings along with livelier, more appealing service areas such as food courts and outdoor cafés.
“Most school districts place a higher value on the academic side and have less respect for the operations side,” says Stewart, a veteran of the restaurant industry who has also worked as a teacher. “What the HEAC partnership did for me was give me a voice coming from the academic side, with compelling research showing that our kids are going to learn better if they eat better and are healthier.”
When she first began working on food service changes with school administrators and HEAC representatives, Stewart expected they would act like “nutrition police” and simply tell her to “stop feeding the kids fat.” She was pleasantly surprised to find that, on the contrary, they looked to her for business and marketing expertise and were able to develop a truly collaborative relationship. “I think fast food is fabulous,” Stewart says without irony, adding, “if what that means is getting a thousand people fed quickly. The problem is that schools too often rely on processed and prepackaged foods to achieve that goal.” She explains that serving pre-packaged foods shifts liability for food safety from the schools to the manufacturer.
Recognizing that concern for food safety is one of the major barriers to serving more fresh fruits and vegetables in school settings, Stewart made it a centerpiece of her efforts. “I just started doing what I know how to do,” she says. “I made sure I had everything in place in terms of sanitation, and I trained my staff to follow the same procedures as in a restaurant, maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste. Food safety is a science, and we take great steps to ensure the safety of the food supply.”
But how does she get children to eat all those fruits and vegetables? “We created bright, attractive food courts with appetizing menu items that we branded and promoted,” says Stewart, reeling off some students’ favorites such as Dr. Smoothie Ph.D. 100 percent fruit and dairy drinks, The Dean of Greens soup and salad bar, The Pizza Master, and Professor Java and Co.—all of which were developed with systematic input from student leaders in the Associated Student Body (ASB).
In fact, the ASB went from cafeteria competitor, for years selling high-calorie snack and soft drinks to raise funds for student activities, to enthusiastic collaborator, now helping to staff and promote the cafeteria while student organizations share in its profits. Stewart has been invited to speak at a national obesity conference and with other schools about adopting the kinds of changes that have worked so well at Sweetwater. Coupled with an award-winning new approach to the physical education curriculum—replacing the traditional emphasis on team sports, athletic ability, and competition with a focus on personal health and fitness goals—the food service innovations have raised not only students’ nutritional awareness but also their state-mandated Fitnessgram scores. From 2008 to 2009, ninth-graders’ pass rates on the Fitnessgram tests jumped more than 20 points, from 58 percent to 79 percent.
Those who do not pass are automatically enrolled in a more intensive, highly individualized tenth-grade “Fit for Life” physical education program that also includes nutrition education. “We recognize that schools can play a critical role in curbing the epidemic of weight gain that can lead to diabetes,” says school district superintendent Dr. Jesus Gandara. “Sweetwater students are making the connection between healthy eating, daily exercise, and improved fitness.”
For more information:
• Healthy Eating, Active Communities
• Watch these videos on the Sweetwater Video Newsroom:
Reinventing the School Cafeteria (4:26 minutes)
Surf’s Up Café (2:57 minutes)
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Spotlight Feature: Norwood Elementary School
Location: South LA, CA
Contact: Adriana Valenzuela
Located in a low-income, predominately Latino neighborhood, Norwood Elementary School has defied the numbers. Studies show that in low-resource schools, physical education tends to be deficient in both quantity and quality; in some schools it may be dropped altogether. Where physical education programs do take place, large class sizes, a shortage of credentialed teachers, and no budget for equipment often mean defaulting to less-vigorous activities like running or walking laps.
However, despite limited resources, Norwood Street Elementary School's physical education program succeeded in raising the proportion of its students passing the Fitnessgram test from 36 percent in 2006-07 to 60 percent in 2008-09. In addition, Norwood students competed for the first time in the annual Presidential Physical Fitness test, an age-norm reference comparing children against national averages.Norwood Street Elementary has inspired its 700 students to embrace physical activity as part of the school's culture.
So how did they do it? Adriana Valenzual, HEAC School Sector Lead and Physical Education Advisor for Los Angeles Unified School District was integral to the process. She believes that teaching kids how to be successful in fun activities will provide them with skills that they can use the rest of their lives. After receiving a grant from the California Endowment, they sought the help of Mr. Zeph Lee, a physical education teacher hired to carry out their objective. Mr. Lee has proven to be a true role model and a wonderful inspiration to both children and parents alike. Mr. Lee has spend numerous hours perfecting his lessons for the children for both the during and after school program, and for the parents as well.
Norwood's innovative physical education program is centered around the Fitnessgram test requirements, and uses games and other low-cost activities incorporating "mental strategies" to keep students engaged both physically and mentally. They are encouraged to keep journals tracking their individual progress, including recording their heart rate every day—at rest, while exercising, and after their final aerobic activity. The kids stay focused because there is an award system that is based on individual improvement. "It is amazing what a bulletin board and certificates do for student to improve," said Valenzuela.
Besides the high-energy leadership of Lee himself and the student’s dedication, three things have been key to the survival and success of Norwood's physical education program: mandatory ongoing participation by all teachers, support from administrators, and high rates of voluntary participation by parents.
These three elements are all free and just require a bit of time, dedication, and a belief that you can make a difference.
For more information contact:
Zeph Lee, Physical Education Teacher, Norwood Street Elementary School, Los Angeles Unified School District, (310) 213-5556, zephrini.lee@lausd.net
Adriana Valenzuela, HEAC School Sector Lead and Physical Education Advisor for Los Angeles Unified School District, (213) 241-2575, adriana.valenzuela@lausd.net
A World Fit For Kids: www.worldfitforkids.org
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Spotlight Feature: Watsonville High School
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Contact: Angela Rocchio
When given the choice, kids typically reach for junk food – at least 
that is what has been found to be the case many high schools across the country. Watsonville High School in Santa Cruz county was no different. Like many California high schools, Watsonville High School has an open-campus policy that allows students to purchase and eat food off-campus during the lunch period. Such policies increase exposure to opportunities for unhealthy food choices contributing to obesity and other chronic diseases, as youth stream daily into nearby convenience stores and fast food restaurants.
According to Public Health Advocacy Data, 36 percent of Watsonville's 5th, 7th, and 9th graders were overweight or obese, compared to 24 percent of Santa Cruz's 5th, 7th, and 9th graders," says, (2004).
Motivated to take action, a group of concerned students formed Jóvenes SANOS, whose goal is raise awareness about childhood obesity and to implement policies that promote healthy nutrition and physical activity in the city of Watsonville. The youth advocacy program Jóvenes SANOS is part of a larger program called Go for Health!, a county-wide collaborative project of United Way of Santa Cruz County involving 150 agencies committed to addressing childhood obesity.
"Watsonville is 75% Latino and low-income," notes Angela Rocchio, a community organizer and youth program coordinator for Go for Health, "and the students recognized that the community depends on fast food and convenience stores, which can look like a good deal when you don't have much money. So educating fellow students and local business owners became a centerpiece of their efforts working with local markets."
So far, five markets in neighborhoods surrounding the high school have signed on to the Watsonville Healthy Markets Pilot Program: El Primo Produce, Frúteria Quetzal, Santa Rosa Market, La Colmena, and Pajaro Food Center. A concise one-page contract spells out the parties' agreements. Among other things, market owners agree to increase the opportunity for the Watsonville community to buy nutritious foods (including fresh fruits and vegetables); to display advertisements promoting healthier foods, and fewer advertisements for beer, cigarettes, and junk food; to provide healthy foods at child's eye level around cash registers; and to be contacted by students for monthly updates. For their part, students agree to provide training to market owners and their staff, and nutrition posters for display in the store; and to actively promote the store among family and friends and as part of the group's ongoing publicity efforts.
Meanwhile the program's benefits go beyond improvements in community health and nutrition. Participation in the group enhances individual students' leadership and public speaking skills, and also adds value as an extracurricular activity on college applications. Above all, says, Rocchio, "Students learn that they have a voice and the power to make change."
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Spotlight Feature: Somos Mayfair (We are Mayfair)
Location: San Jose, California
Contact: Rebecca Bauen
Somos Mayfair offers an inspiring example of how neighborhood 
and regional leaders can work together to create a stronger community that reflects the values and celebrates the strengths of its residents. (When you visit their website, be sure to watch the video, Sowing Our Future.)
Mayfair, a section of East San Jose, first attracted immigrants from Mexico in the 1920’s. But by the 1960’s it had earned the nickname, Sal Si Puedes (Get Out if You Can), referring to both the literal problem of getting stuck in the mud when the nearby creek overflowed, and to the widespread urban poverty and lack of opportunity for residents.
In 1996, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation chose to help Mayfair, in part, because it had three vital strengths: deeply-rooted families; a history of activism in helping workers deal with difficult conditions in the fields and packing plants; and the strong influence of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish. Somos Mayfair started out with a long-range plan, an understanding of the importance of evaluating data and using feedback from the neighborhood, and building a coalition of support with a broad spectrum of non-profit social and human service agencies.
Efforts to date have included improving sidewalks, replacing graffiti with murals, refurbishing the community garden, offering adult literacy and GED classes, and launching neighborhood school readiness initiatives for children.
Through its website and community notices, Somos Mayfair promotes a number of special events. Resident-led theatrical productions address common issues, and are followed by opportunities for deeper discussion.
On May 8, the 5th annual Mother’s Day Celebration, Dia de las Madres en Mayo, features a community-wide celebration to honor Mayfair mothers, with traditional foods, the ritual of roses, an original play written and acted by neighborhood mothers –all recognizing the strength, power, and leadership of women. Participants are asked to bring their own plates and utensils to make this a green event.
There is much to learn in the work Somos Mayfair has accomplished. “The story we tell is also the story of countless other “Mayfairs” that exist throughout California and across the nation: communities of hard-working, immigrant, working-poor families who struggle to survive, yet maintain inexplicable hope and determination” said Jaime Alvarado, Executive Director of the Mayfair Improvement Initiative.
To learn more, take a look at Sí Se Puede: Lessons for Community Transformation and Results, Resilience and Renewal: Mayfair Index of Progress Report.
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Spotlight Feature: Goles por la Salud "Goals for Health"
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Contact: Jorge de Santiago
Executive Director, El Centro Amistad
Goles por la Salud (“Goals for Health”) let’s kids play soccer. Doesn't sound too extraordinary, does it?
However, the program isn’t just about scoring goals on the field. It takes Latino children and their parents into the classroom, teaching them how to better their lives through proper nutrition.
When the pilot program started last year, El Centro Amistad only offered soccer lessons. However, when the majority of the children who signed up were overweight and carried chips and soda for "snacks", it was apparent that families needed help understanding nutrition, exercise, and diabetes prevention.
The concept is simple: teach and then "practice" what you preach. It’s a wonderful combination that gives kids an opportunity to learn about how to take care of their bodies, and allows them to see the results on the soccer pitch. They swapped the chips and soda for fruit and water and started seeing improvements in their play. "At the beginning, they couldn't run for three minutes, and by the end, they could play a whole game," Goles por la Salud Executive Director Jorge de Santiago said. “These are small changes that they can incorporate into their daily lives that can make a big difference.”
Small or big, the difference that Goles por la Salud is making in the minds of these Latino families will stick with them for the rest of their lives. While the kids are scoring goals, the parents are learning the basics of nutrition and learning to work with obstacles such as hectic work schedules and budgetary limitations.
This month, the program will bring in a nutritionist to meet one-on-one with parents to discuss the health of their families. It will also incorporate games and activities to help promote healthy eating, as well as distribute healthy handouts to stick on the fridge at home.
To learn more about Goles por la Salud and it's parent company, El Centro Amistad, click here.
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Spotlight Feature: La Mujer Obrera and Mercado Mayapan
Food for Women’s Empowerment, Health, Culture and Sustainable Community Economic 
Development
Location: El Paso, Texas
Contact: Cindy Arnold
La Mujer Obrera started 27 years ago to help provide job opportunities, retraining and entrepreneurial skills for women -- mostly middle-aged women with limited or no English skills -- who once worked in the garment industry along the border. Their jobs began to vanish when garment-making jobs were moved to other countries, a trend that accelerated after the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect in 1994.
The organization now runs a day-care center, a restaurant, a small mercado, a small medical-garment factory and an eight-unit apartment complex. Almost three decades later, this group has dedicated themselves to upholding basic human rights for all Mexican women, including the right to employment with dignity and justice, and the right to full health and nutrition.
To address some of the problems facing their community, La Mujer Obrera has opened Mercado Mayapan, an authentic Mexican Mercado in the South Central/Chamizal neighborhood of Texas, an area with a long history of poverty and economic trouble. This mercado employs 60 women and offers fresh groceries, dry goods, and a “food court” featuring a variety of dishes from different regions of Mexico. Mercado Mayapan also holds events to promote Mexican cultural heritage through music, dance and visual arts.
The economic restructuring affecting the whole country has had a ripple effect across the community’s social fabric. La Mujer Obrera has wrestled with the question of: “How do we, as Mexican immigrant women workers, build sustainable communities rooted in economic justice and respect for our dignity as a “pueblo?”
Download their moving answer and inspiring plans to overcome these hurdles.
Click here for a detailed overview of describing how they went from an idea to a symbol of female empowerment in the El Paso community.
Want to know how to help? La Mujer Obrera is seeking bilingual/Spanish-speaking nutritionists who can assist their community. Contact us if you or anyone you know can lend a hand.
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Spotlight Feature: Mesa de Maria
Location: Aurora, Illinois
Contact: Cyndi Gavin
For the past year, Mesa de Maria has been offering four-week cooking classes and table 
spirituality for Latinas at St. John’s United Church of Christ. The women meet, cook, eat, sing, and pray on four consecutive Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to noon. They create menus using the LNC’s Traditional Latin American Diet Pyramid and recipes from Sarita’s Sensations, among others. The programs, which combine health, cooking, and fitness, often feature outside speakers and motivators. One guest facilitator, Marilyn Dicola, has taught fitness to the Detroit Red Wing professional hockey team!