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Dear Friends,
It is my pleasure to update you on the work I have been doing to make Alameda County an even better place to call home.
In this edition you can read about my work to address childhood obesity throughout the county, my partnership with the San Leandro Unified School District to build San Leandro's first school-based health center, and my contribution to Alameda's school supply drive "Equipped 4 Success."
You can also learn about my partnership with San Lorenzo Unified School District to place youth in summer internships, my work to secure emergency funding for senior services and much more.
It is an honor to serve you. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any comments, questions or concerns that you may have regarding the district or Alameda County.
Sincerely,
Wilma Chan
Supervisor, Third District
Tackling Childhood Obesity in Alameda County
This past year, I commissioned a groundbreaking report by our county’s Public Health Department that addresses the impact of obesity in Alameda County. Childhood and adult obesity rates have been on the rise over the past several decades, costing Alameda County billions of dollars every year.
This July, I was joined by local leaders and students at a community event where I released the completed report, “The Health and Economic Impacts of Obesity in Alameda County.” The report finds that more than a third of school-aged children are overweight or obese. The report also offers recommendations for improving access to nutritional foods for Alameda County families, including public education campaigns and potential interventions in schools and County facilities.
At the event, I announced my donation of $15,000 to Oakland Unified School District’s (OUSD) Food Redistribution Program. The donation will be used to purchase ten commercial grade refrigerators that will allow OUSD to save and redistribute greater amounts of nutritious food to the community that would otherwise go to waste. The OUSD Food Redistribution Program is an example of efforts underway to improve nutrition and address obesity in Alameda County. The program takes healthy, unused cafeteria food that, by law, would otherwise be thrown away, and distributes the food to parents at the school site or to non-profits in the community. Nearly 70% of the re-distributed food is milk that has not reached its expiration date but cannot be re-used in the school cafeteria. Fresh fruit is another healthy item that is commonly distributed.
Obesity in Alameda County is costing our families economically and reducing the quality of life. This new report tells us that diabetes and other such conditions were among the 10 most common reasons for children to be hospitalized in Alameda County. Improving nutritional services in our schools and accessibility to healthy foods in our community will help us fight this public health challenge.
A First for San Leandro Students
School-based health services are critical for improving health access for our youth. Since March 2011, I have been meeting with the San Leandro Unified School District to address the current health needs of San Leandro students and their families. During these meetings, I learned that the need for health services for youth was an issue that the school district had discussed for years. In 2012, I identified and secured a $500,000 federal grant through the Affordable Care Act’s School Based Health Center Capital Program to support capital construction costs to build the first federally qualified school health center in San Leandro Unified School District. The health center will operate 20 hours a week Monday through Friday and is expected to serve close to 1,200 students and accommodate approximately 3,000 health visits in the first year.
On September 17, I was joined by officials from Alameda County, San Leandro Unified School District and the City of San Leandro to celebrate the start of construction of San Leandro’s first school-based health center. The health clinic, which is scheduled to open spring 2015, will provide free access to health services including medical, dental and mental health care to San Leandro High School students. The clinic will be located across the street from San Leandro High School at the former Girls Inc. of Alameda County building.
San Leandro has the third highest rates of asthma in Alameda County and about 43 percent of San Leandro Unified students are considered overweight or obese. The school-based health center will address these critical health care issues and ensure that the students at San Leandro High school have the necessary support for academic success.
Internships for San Lorenzo Youth
Career development activities, such as internships are incredibly important for high school students who want to get into college and find future employment.
This summer I partnered with the San Lorenzo Unified School District (SLZUSD) for the second year to help identify and place several students into summer internships. Students worked in the fields of health, performing arts and media production. This year’s host sites were Microsoft, La Clinica de La Raza, Operation Hope, VCA Animal Hospital and VJTV Network. The internships helped connect students’ classroom- learning with work experience.
Prior to starting their internships, each student completed an intensive program preparing them for the workplace. Topics included written and oral communication, time management, planning and prioritizing, negotiating challenges, resolving conflicts and more. At the conclusion of the internships, students gained academic credit for their time in the workplace, developed critical connections in their chosen career field, and added real-world accomplishments to their resumes.
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Fighting for Our Seniors
Today, in Alameda County, half of all seniors are struggling financially. Over 20 percent of seniors are facing food insecurity, which means that they do not always know where they will find their next meal. In June, the Senior Services Coalition of Alameda County came to me to request assistance with emergency funding to help stabilize programs and services for seniors. I worked with the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to secure $850,000 in emergency stabilization funding for senior services. The Board of Supervisors directed the Social Services and Health Care Services Agencies to identify this critical funding as well as to develop an integrated plan for providing long term, health and supportive services to seniors in Alameda County.
"Equipped 4 Success" in Alameda
The start of the school year can be a challenging time for many low-income families who struggle to provide the necessary supplies to send their children to school. This is the reason why I contributed $3,500 to the Alameda Education Foundation’s “Equipped 4 Success” community-wide school supply drive.
The Alameda Education Foundation, which partners with Alameda Unified School District's McKinney-Vento program and Woodstock Community Development Center, Alameda Point Collaborative, Head Start, Alameda Boys & Girls Club, Girls Inc. of the Island City, and the Alameda Collaborative for Children, Youth and Families, collected both in-kind and financial donations to provide 1,000 low-income students with backpacks and school supplies. Last year, I donated $6,000 to help close the final funding gap needed to serve the remaining 200 students with over thirty different basic school supplies for the academic school year including backpacks, paper, pens, notebooks and binders.
Over one third of Alameda Unified School District students were enrolled in the National School Lunch Program last year. It is important to support campaigns such as the “Equipped 4 Success” school supply drive that help to strengthen and support local youth in their school success.
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Midway Shelter Funding
This summer, Building Futures for Women and Children requested assistance for a budget shortfall for Midway Shelter, Alameda’s only shelter for women and children. The shelter faced a $168,000 funding gap for the upcoming year, about 40% of its budget. The shortage was due to a shift in federal and state funding that diverted funding away from emergency shelters.
I secured an additional $168,000 for the 2014-15 contract for Midway Shelter for emergency shelter services, increasing the contract from $268,000 to $436,000. With this additional funding, Building Futures for Women and Children will be able to keep Midway Shelter open. Additionally, this funding will allow them to increase their annual bed nights by 3,428 for a total of 8,903 bed nights per year.
Domestic violence and homelessness affects everyone, and that means that we must all work together to support Midway Shelter during these tough economic times. I will continue to work toward developing solutions and ensure that women and children have a safe place to go.
Legal Assistance for Seniors Annual Luncheon
On June 20, I was invited to speak at Legal Assistance for Seniors’ Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Legal Assistance for Seniors (LAS) provides free legal advice and information, representation in court and administrative hearings, referrals to other community resources, and community education and training on legal issues. Many of the services provided by Legal Assistance for Seniors are run by volunteers who provide counseling to Medicare beneficiaries with supplemental plans, long term care insurance and more. Volunteer Attorneys also provide counsel, advice and representation to LAS clients. Volunteers honored at the event included counselors from the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) and volunteer attorneys and legal advocates, administrative volunteers and LAS Board Members.
At the luncheon, I spoke about county programs aimed to assist older adults such as the Area Agency on Agency and the Social Services Adult Protection Services Unit. I also spoke about the shared responsibility between government agencies and local organizations to ensure the social and economic health and wellbeing of elders in our community. The senior fraud workshops I developed last year with the assistance of LAS have served hundreds of seniors throughout District 3 and are a perfect example of the importance of these partnerships.
Today, Legal Assistance for Seniors is the only legal services program in Alameda County devoted exclusively to assisting seniors. I am proud to support this essential organization and their volunteers that make a difference in the lives of seniors throughout Alameda County.
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Elder Abuse Awareness Month
The elder population is the largest growing segment in the country, however, elder abuse is the most under-reported crime in the United States where it is estimated that only one in fourteen cases of elder abuse comes to the attention of Adult Protective Services and or law enforcement authorities.
To help raise awareness of this important issue, I presented a proclamation signed by the Board of Supervisors to proclaim June 2014 as “Elder Abuse Awareness Month.” Representatives from Alameda County’s District Attorney’s Office and Alameda County Social Services Agency’s Adult Protective Services Unit joined me to speak about their continued fight for seniors’ rights.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s office, its Elder Protection Unit and its Victim Witness Division and the Alameda County Social Services Agency and its Adult Protective Services Unit provide a network of services to elders who are in danger of becoming, or who have become, victims of abuse. With their help, we have held community workshops throughout my district to promote crime prevention resources and to educate elders about financial abuse and scams.
Leisel Whitlock-Peterson,
Alameda County Arts Commissioner
Leisel Whitlock-Peterson, is one of the newest members of Alameda County’s Arts Commission. Leisel was born in San Francisco and raised in New Orleans. She has a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Georgia State and a Masters in Art Administration from the school of the Art Institute of Chicago. Leisel is an artist and currently works as a non-profit fundraising professional for Blue Skies for Children in Oakland.
Leisel worked at the Art Institute of Chicago where she developed events for a diverse group of audiences. She collaborated with curators, trustees and advancement colleagues to facilitate individual, foundation, and corporate gifts. She also provided counsel and support for The Art Institute of Chicago’s Museum Advisory Committee. Leisel currently lives in San Leandro with her husband Russell and two boys Emmett and Luke. I am happy to have Leisel on the County’s Art Commission and look forward to her continued work toward improving the arts in District 3 and Alameda County.
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Upcoming Events
Holiday Open House
Join me to celebrate the San Lorenzo community and welcome the holiday season at a “Holiday Open House.” The open house will be held on Thursday, November 20 from 4:00PM to 5:30PM at my district office, located at 15903 Hesperian Boulevard in San Lorenzo. Snacks and light refreshments will be provided.
First Fridays in the Temescal
Take out the family for a fun night in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood every first Friday of the month to enjoy food, drinks, art and everything the Temescal shops have to offer. Click here for more info.
Step Up and Speak Out
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. On Thursday, October 16, the City of Alameda Domestic Violence Task Force and the Alameda Social Services Human Relations Board will present a “Speakout” and resource fair at Alameda’s City Hall. The event will be held on the steps of Alameda City Hall, located at 2263 Santa Clara Avenue from 4:30PM to 6:30PM. For more information about this event, please contact Lorie Curtis at 510-357-0205 ext. 203 or lcurtis@bfwc.org.
Resources
Boards and Commissions
Are you interested in serving Alameda County and District 3? There are currently several openings to become a District 3 representative. Learn more at http://www.acgov.org/clerk/bcc.htm. Applications including a cover letter and resume can be submitted to District3@acgov.org
Healthy Homes
Lead poisoning, asthma triggers and safety issues in the home are a serious threat to our children’s health. The Alameda County Healthy Homes Department has services to assist low-income residents and property owners in making their homes safer for young children. If you own a pre-1978 home or apartment building in Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville or Oakland, you are eligible for a free-in-home or phone consultation to help you identify and reduce lead hazards. Other services include free lead paint repair and free trainings. For more information or to sign up for these services, call 510-567-8280 or visit www.achhd.org
Project Leadership Series
Are you a parent of a child with special health needs who would like to be heard? Family Voices of California is looking to increase the number of families who are prepared and supported to become advocates for health care policy and service improvements. The training series includes a $250 stipend for participants who complete all 7 sessions and free on-site childcare and lunch. To apply to Project Leadership or for more information, contact Lilian Ansari at 510-547-7322 ext. 122 or at LilianA@FRNoakland.org or visit www.familyvoicesofca.org.
AAA Senior Resource Guide
Alameda County’s Area Agency on Aging website has elder service tips, news and resources. Click here to visit the website and learn more about resources available to all seniors in Alameda County.
Alameda County Resource Guide
For information and referrals on Alameda County programs, check out our resource guide: http://www.acgov.org/government/documents/ACResourceDirectory.pdf
Starting a Local Business
Do you want to open a business in Alameda County and don’t know where to begin? Alameda County has two great guides that will help you get started.
- Guide #1: Starting a Business in Alameda County
- Guide #2: Starting a Business in Unincorporated Alameda County
(Ashland, Castlewood, Castro Valley, Cherryland, Fairview, Happy Valley, Hillcrest Knolls, San Lorenzo and Sunol)
East Bay Connects
Are you connected? East Bay Connects provides access to low-cost broadband subscriptions, as low as $10 a month. New broadband subscribers can receive a free home computer, free digital literacy training, a year of free tech support and access to many resources to learn how to use broadband. For more information, call the East Bay Connects contact center at (886) 460-7439 or contact James Nixon at (510) 377-7224 or jamesshurdinixon@gmail.com
In the News
Grant Avenue in San Lorenzo Undergoes Big Construction Project
Alameda County Supervisors Approve $2.8 Billion Budget
Report Examines State Budget Cut Effects in Alameda County
Students Receive Free Backpacks, School Supplies Thanks to Local Drive
SF Bay Area county celebrates first year of health benefit exchange
Covered California enrollments are on the rise, but challenges remain
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