Youth UpRising — a state-of-the-art youth center in East Oakland
— is keeping youth on track through their Evening Reporting
Center (ERC). Youth who would otherwise be detained in juvenile
hall are allowed to live at home but must report every day after
school to Youth UpRising to complete homework, use the computer
lab, or to access an array of other services and opportunities,
including a health clinic. When the program is over each night,
the youth are driven home to ensure compliance with their
court-mandated curfews.
Native Americans face many challenges — poverty, substance
abuse, and type-2 diabetes, among others. But Willard Carlson
Jr., a member of the Yurok Tribe in Del Norte County, is helping
to build self esteem among youth by teaching them about the
Yurok’s traditional cultural practices.
The residents of South Kern County live in an area with many
health challenges — including substandard housing and pesticide
drift. Today, these families are taking charge of their health by
challenging themselves to quit soda and junk food, and increase
physical activity. They believe that by doing this together they
can make significant health improvements in their community.
Castlemont High School is taking school discipline into the 21st
Century through their Restorative Justice for Youth (RJOY)
program. RJOY is an alternative to out-of-school suspensions and
expulsions that requires youth to take responsibility for their
offense and make amends while keeping them in school and in the
community. This program has resulted in significantly lower
suspension rates at Castlemont.
Did you know a library can help improve health? The residents of
Salinas know so and have turned their library into a gathering
place for the community where they can engage in a variety of
activities, including workshops, poetry slams, homework
assistance and so much more!
Khmer Girls in Action, a group of Southeast Asian women in Long
Beach, work to bring equity and social justice to their community
through advocacy and by challenging the status quo.
Operation Peacemaker Fellowship in Richmond is working to tear
down the divisive walls between Richmond’s diverse communities in
order to build unity among residents and improve community
safety.
Time banking means that when you volunteer for your community
that time is put into a savings account for you so that when you
need help with childcare, tutoring or another need you can
withdraw that time in exchange for help. Sobrante Park’s
Time-Banking Initiative in East Oakland helps bring individuals
together to give and receive help while creating a stronger sense
of community.
Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, a nonprofit, affordable
housing developer, helps families in need build their own homes
through a collective process where their ’sweat equity’ serves as
currency.
Purchasing vegetables and fruit can be expensive for families on
a budget, and difficult for those living in communities without
access to them. Ubuntu Green, a Sacramento-based community
organization, teaches families — including those with limited
yard space — how to grow their own.
Parents, doctors and others from the community joined together to
bring health to Bess Maxwell Elementary School’s cafeteria.
Alarmed by their county’s 44.5% overweight and obese statistic
among Del Norte’s children and youth, they worked together to
bring a salad bar to their school.
