With a $32,000 grant from The California Endowment via the Riverside County Department of Public Health, San Bernardino County will conduct an education-based demonstration project that will help youth move up and out of affordable housing communities located throughout the county.
This project represents the Countywide Vision in action, with a particular focus on one of the Vision’s regional goals of partnering with all sectors of the community to support the success of every child from cradle to career.
The Departments of Public Health, Community Development and Housing, and the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools are collaborating on a plan that will help residents attain appropriate reading levels by the third grade, learn how to improve nutrition and increase physical activity, and address bullying and school safety.
An affordable housing development will be identified to introduce a training module through its resident services program, which will help individuals attain core skills that will help them achieve wellness and confidence.
“This demonstration project seeks to address education, nutrition and school safety, which are three of the top community wellness priorities established through the Community Vital Signs initiative during 2013, and to promote the Countywide Vision’s Cradle to Career goal,” said Trudy Raymundo, director of the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health.
The purpose of the grant is to introduce the concept of “Health in All Policies.” Success of the project will demonstrate the benefit of introducing policy that will enable similar training programs in affordable housing throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The California Endowment is a private, statewide health foundation with a mission to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians.