Young Leaders Join Forces for Safer, Healthier Communities
Darlene Saechao, a senior at John F. Kennedy High School in Nystrom, used to be shy. Today, she is one of seven outspoken leaders in Richmond’s pioneering Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Council working to promote safe communities and positive youth development.
What do oranges, asparagus, and kids have in common?
Juicy oranges and bright green asparagus overflowed from a box of locally-grown produce that LISC's AmeriCorps member Lucretia Bobo handed to a local Richmond family. The boxes are being distributed as a result of the recently launched "Farm 2 Table" program, which provide fresh produce twice monthly to Richmond residents.
In a city with few stores selling fresh produce, Farm 2 Table is improving the accessibility and affordability of fruit and vegetables in Richmond as well as providing a local market for Eastern Contra Costa County farms. Prices remain affordable to lower income residents due to the program's unique pricing subsidies. The program accepts a variety of payment types, including checks, cash, and food stamps.
With childhood obesity impacting one out of every three children in Richmond, the highest rate in California, the Richmond Children's Foundation has partnered with Ecovillage Farm to bring fresh produce to the community. Concerned for public health, County Supervisors John Gioia and Mary Piepho are working with the foundation and other partners to support the program, and offer a more proactive approach to good health.
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Shyaam Shabaka, Executive Director of Ecovillage Farm, emphasizes that by taking a "much more upstream, much more preventative" approach to health, the program will help prevent health threats, such as heart disease and type II diabetes. "Farm 2 Table illustrates how AmeriCorps members promote healthy communities while developing leadership skills," said Stephanie Forbes, the Executive Director of Bay Area LISC. The recent increase in federal funding for AmeriCorps is anticipated to triple the numbers of AmeriCorps volunteers working nationwide in the year ahead.
As the program moves forward, it will give local residents the opportunity to come together and share creative ideas on how to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in their diets. Ms. Bobo, the AmeriCorps member who is coordinating the program's launch said, "It's going to be more than just coming in and picking up your boxes... we're going to have a chef doing cooking demonstrations." By building a sense of community, program coordinators are expecting these activities will provide the glue to make the program a success.
For more information about the program and how to order a box, click here.
From Nystrom to Nashville: Local Students Get Involved and Get Credit
Service learning in Nystrom can have real community impact. That’s the message three seniors from Kennedy High School taught educators last month at the National Youth Service Learning Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The students, Alma Cardozo, Maria Esparza, and Inez Hudson, shared their experiences in Youth – Plan, Learn, Act, Now (Y-PLAN), an award-winning program created by UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities and Schools, where their students mentor and engage local high school youth as genuine stakeholders in planning projects.
Through Y-PLAN, the students made recommendations on the City of Richmond’s multi-million dollar redevelopment of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park and Community Center, while also receiving community service credit. The program, which was generously sponsored by State Farm through LISC, demonstrated to the students that they could have a voice in making a difference in their community. After the youth presented their vision to the Mayor, City Manager, project architects, and other stakeholders, some design changes were made to the plans.
Ariel Bierbaum, Program Director for the Center for Cities and Schools, explained that the Y-PLAN model is unique since it offers “youth the opportunity to be directly involved in city planning where they provide professional recommendations to their client, the City Manager’s Office, while connecting this work to core academic curriculum.”
Following the Nashville presentation, Elizabeth Hale, LISC’s service learning coordinator observed, “I have never seen so many questions from the audience in the six years I have gone to this conference.” The students’ presentation was one of the few youth-led sessions at the conference, and they had the opportunity to answer questions and provide their perspectives on participating in the program. “As these students prepare for college and work, the conference was a great opportunity for them to hone their communication skills and get national exposure for their work,” said Ms. Bierbaum.
Youth Voices Are Heard in Richmond
How do Kennedy High School students in Richmond spend their free time? For Maria Esparza and Alma Cardozo, they attend community meetings and weigh-in on serious issues that face the Nystrom neighborhood. And they want youth and adults alike to do the same. "We want people to come out to the meetings and tell us what they want. That way we can make change" explains Maria.
