A demand for walkable communities is on the rise in Texas, the second fastest growing state between 2010-2013, according to a March 2014 article from the Texas Tribune. Recently, investments in pedestrian friendly projects have found their way to some of Texas' largest cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and El Paso. Even suburbs are trying to incorporate mixed-use town centers to get residents outside. As reported in the Tribune article, urban planners like Patrick Kennedy of Dallas, believe that this increased demand for walkability comes partially as a result of the growing millennial population in Texas. Kennedy said: "millennials are very interested in urbanism and walkable communities as well as being active in trying to create ...
In April of 2012, students at Westwood elementary, an 80% Latino school in Houston, TX set out on a mission to "be the change" for better health at their school. With the encouragement of their mentor Samuel Karns, and support from the Oliver Foundation, twelve students came together to form Spring Branch Independent School District' s (SBISD) very first Kid's School Health Advisory Committee (K-SHAC). During its first year, student members of Westwood's K-SHAC created their own mission statement and organized healthy activities. The K-SHAC's mission statement reads: "Westwood Elementary’s K-SHAC (Kids School Health Advisory Committee) mission is commitment to helping students now and in the future, by encouraging change through improvements in language, respect, ...
More than 16,000 people live in food deserts, low-income areas without close grocery store access, in Lansing and East Lansing, Michigan alone, according to a report by the Ingham County Health Department. Latinos make up over 10% of families in Lansing. The Food Systems Workgroup was created to address these food access issues. Formally started in 2012, the workgroup is made up of local growers, farmers, retailers, policy makers, and other citizens. With a new $5,000 grant from the Mid-Michigan Program for Greater Sustainability, the workgroup is headed out into the community to get input on food desert solutions. A team of workgroup members will survey residents in four neighborhoods where fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods aren't readily ...
At the Diabetes Health Center (DHC), a program of the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust, Latino children and their families are learning how to be healthy. After finding out that 49.3% of children in the area were overweight or obese, physicians and local leaders at the DHC knew something had to be done. So they decided to develop a pilot program to help Latino children succeed in achieving a healthy weight status. Culturally Relevant Programming With funding from the Children's Miracle Network, and by partnering up with the Watsonville Health Center, the DHC was able to offer a 10-week bi-lingual nutrition education and physical activity program to 25 Latino kids and their families during the Summer and Fall of 2013. To meet the criteria as a participant, children had to ...
Families living in South Los Angeles, the majority of which are Latino, now have a new neighborhood place to buy fresh, healthy food. A new full-service supermarket is now up and running in South Los Angeles, bringing fresh food and new jobs to the area. The new Northgate Gonzalez market took 15 years to develop and is anchored to the Juanita Tate Marketplace outdoor retail center.. California FreshWorks Fund awarded Northgate Gonzalez a $50,000 grant and $5.5 million loan to provide healthier options and more jobs for the community. The market will bring more than 100 new living wage jobs with benefits. FreshWorks is a key effort of The California Endowment’s Health Happens Here campaign, which seeks to promote healthy neighborhoods through increased access to fresh ...
On March 19, 2014 K-8th grade students across Nevada enjoyed the fifth annual Nevada Moves Day---an event that celebrates the benefits of walking and biking to and from school. The event which started in 2009 has grown to include over 23,000 students from 60 different Clark County School District schools and 28 schools from the Washoe County School District. At one school, Lincoln Park elementary (58% Latino) in Sparks, NV, students learned about safety from law enforcement officers, in addition to experiencing the fun of walking to school. According to Washoe County School District Police Chief Mike Mieras, it's important to teach kids about being safe during their commute because many kids in the area are now walking to school. Officer MJ Cloud, the Safe Routes Coordinator ...
Citizens in Miami are ready for more open spaces according to an op-ed piece from the Miami Herald, written by Ken Bryan, Florida's state director of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. In this article, Bryan speaks about the rise of active transportation, especially biking, occurring in Miami. Despite this shift in transportation modes, and the increase of recreational activities in downtown Miami, Bryan reports that traffic congestion has gotten worse. With new transportation initiatives underway like All Aboard Florida (AAF)---a high speed passenger rail way service that will connect South and Central Florida---Bryan claims that enhanced connectivity through the development of hike and bike trails is important. He said: "the city should seize the opportunity to create more ...
After seeing the positive benefits that exercise and physical activity had on their children, two parents teamed up with a personal trainer in Pearland, Texas and formed Fitness 4 Kids, an after school fitness group for children of all ages. When Alicia Watkins was only six-years old she was diagnosed with thrombocytopenia, a blood disorder which causes abnormally low levels of platelets. The disease and steroid treatment she received caused her to be inactive and soon led to a 40-pound weight gain. She also developed fatty liver and was at risk for becoming hypertensive. By the age of 8, Alicia had her spleen removed and was on her way to recovery; however she now had to deal with other health issues related to her weight gain. Alicia's doctors referred her to the hospital's ...
Great news for Latinos in Washington County! The County has set aside funds specifically for engaging Latinos in conversations about the development of two local initiatives, including the Council Creek Regional Trail and the Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Project. According to a news story from the Hillsboro Tribune, the county's planners and local governing body are developing plans for a 15-mile trail which will connect four cities: Cornelius, Forest Grove, Banks and Hillsboro. A total of $8,500 will be put towards translators and developing culturally relevant,bilingual materials to be handed out to Latinos during community events and open houses.The two non-profits which will be working with Latinos are Adelante Mujeres and the Centro Cultural in Cornelius. Because the ...
