Facebook has announced a $1 billion pledge for grants, loans, and land to address the California housing crisis that it and other tech giants helped create. The $1 billion commitment will be distributed for five projects: $250 million for mixed-income housing on excess state-owned land where housing is scarce.
$225 million in land that Facebook recently purchased in Menlo Park, home of Facebook’s headquarters, where real estate prices have skyrocketed. The plan is for over 1,500 units of mixed-income housing. $150 million to build affordable housing in the San Francisco Bay Area, including housing for the homeless. $25 million to build housing for teachers and essential workers in San Mateo and Santa Clara, enabling them to live near the schools where they work. ...
You may be one of the 42.9 million people who got the flu last season. Perhaps you were among the over 645,000 people hospitalized due to the flu. Or maybe you even knew one of the 61,200 people who died from flu-related causes, according to CDC estimates. Today, health experts are bracing for an even worse upcoming flu season. Trends around the globe can sometimes predict outcomes in the United States, and Australia just had an unusually early and relatively serious flu season. Flu activity in the U.S. begins around October and runs through May, so now is the time to get you flu shot! “We know it isn’t perfect, but we need to emphasize the importance of partial protection,” says Dr. William Schaffner, director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. “If you ...
Sadly, many rural residents struggle with lung problems. COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, includes lung diseases like emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and non-reversible asthma. This condition is characterized by increasing breathlessness. But there are ways to help rural communities prevent and manage COPD, and help people breathe easier. That's why the Rural Health Information Hub (RHI Hub) created a new toolkit to compile evidence-based models and resources to help rural leaders implement COPD programs in their communities. "Each rural health program designed to treat COPD is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all implementation strategy," according to RHI Hub's toolkit. "Successful programs identify existing resources and best practices and tailor them to ...
The CDC Foundation is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients program by launching new bilingual resources to improve support for Latino and all cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
How Infection Can Happen During Cancer Treatment
If you are getting chemotherapy, you may be at risk for getting an infection. This risk is highest when your white blood cell count is at its lowest (called neutropenia). White blood cells are the body's main defense against infections. An infection during chemotherapy can lead to treatment delays, hospitalization, and sometimes death. About 650,000 U.S. cancer patients get chemotherapy in an outpatient oncology clinic each year. More than 100,000 are hospitalized because of an infection, according to the ...
Nearly 2 of 3 U.S. children's drinks sold in 2018 were unhealthy fruit drinks and flavored waters with added sugars and/or diet sweeteners, according to Children’s Drink FACTS 2019, a new report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. In fact, none of the 34 top-selling children's sugary drinks met expert recommendations for healthy drinks for children. These unhealthy drink sales complicate health equity for Latino and black children, who are targeted more with sugary drink marketing and have higher rates of sugary drink consumption. "Beverage companies have said they want to be part of the solution to childhood obesity, but they continue to market sugar-sweetened children’s drinks directly to young children on TV and through packages designed to get their ...
Youth sports are a great way to help kids get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day. But only about half of U.S. kids participate on a youth sports team. Latinos or other racial/ethnic minorities, girls, rural, low-income, and/or youth with disabilities all have lower rates of both physical activity and youth sports participation, data show. For Latinos, cost and local access to places to play are big barriers to youth sports equity. Fortunately, the new federal National Youth Sports Strategy outlines opportunities for youth, adults, organizations, communities, and policymakers to improve youth sports equity. "[The strategy] aims to unify U.S. youth sports culture around a shared vision: that one day all youth will have the opportunity, motivation, and access ...
In Nashville (10.4% Latino), Latinos are one of the city’s largest minority groups. Yet, they are more than four times as likely to not have health insurance than their white or black neighbors, according to a survey by city officials and NashvilleHealth, a local nonprofit. “Doctor visits and health insurance are simply out of reach for many Latino families, who struggle with poverty, transportation and language barriers,” officials from two local Latino organizations told The Tennessean. This is even worse for immigrants who do not have proper documentation and do not qualify for TennCare, the state Medicaid. More on the Survey
The Nashville Community Health + Well-being survey revealed that one-third of Latinos don’t have insurance and more than half do not have a ...
How important is the 2020 Census? Well, the results will determine political power, representation in Congress, and funding for schools, hospitals, roads, and social services in your community for the next 10 years. Here are some Q&As that emphasize the need to count Latinos and all people!
1. Why Is There a Census?
The U.S. Constitution requires the government count everyone living in the country regardless of race, ethnicity, or citizenship status. The Census Act of 1790 created the first census. The government has conducted it every 10 years since to determine a population count, not a citizenship count. “The data collected affect our nation’s ability to ensure equal representation and equal access to important governmental and private sector resources for all ...
Every kid needs physical activity and active spaces for healthy growth. But physical inactivity has increased 10% in rural and low-income communities, according to a new study. Rural children have higher risks for obesity than kids living in cities—and rural children of color are at the most risk. This is where Play Streets comes in. Play Streets are place-based interventions that temporarily close a public area to create safe places for physical activity. This engages kids and families, gets people active, and promotes community connections. Now researchers from Baylor University and Johns Hopkins University has released their Guide to Implementing Play Streets in Rural Communities. Using first-hand experience, the guide teaches local groups, ...
