$1.4 million awarded in grants to Merced County organizations
First round of grants from The California Endowment awarded as part of the 10-year Building Healthy Communities initiative

MERCED (April 18, 2011) – Gathered together around a few large tables at Big Bubba’s BBQ restaurant, recipients of The California Endowment’s first round of grants through the Building Healthy Communities initiative were all smiles. With the grants awarded totaling $1.4 million, there were obvious reasons for their smiles. The work plans were completed, the dreams and visions outlined, and now these dreams were being funded. Everyone was thrilled.

Boys & Girls Club of Merced was one of the organizations who received a grant from The California Endowment. Tony Slaton, Executive Director of Boys & Girls Club, knows this grant is needed. “This is a great opportunity for Merced as it relates to youth and youth development,” he stated after receiving their group’s grant. “With this grant money, we can look at what the real needs of our community are and how to adequately serve those needs.” In terms of opportunities, Slaton believes that the Boys & Girls Club is in a very unique position to help with their youths’ educational and health needs. Slaton believes, “We’ve got the opportunity to better develop ourselves as an organization to meet those needs and the grant money is going to help us do that.”

Grants were given in several categories to a variety of groups all interested in making Merced County a healthier place to live.

United Way of Merced received the grant to fund the Building Healthy Communities Hub Collaborative.

Youth Grants were awarded to:

Le Grand Union High School District, in support of violence reduction and healthy youth leadership development.

The Know Youth Media, to strengthen the presence of an active youth media voice to advocate for long-term community health changes in Merced.

Youth Leadership Institute, to support healthy youth development and capacity building of
youth-serving organizations.

Boys and Girls Club, to support the development of disadvantaged young people in Merced.

Community and Parent Involvement Grants were awarded to the following organizations:

Merced County Office of Education, to increase the engagement of parents in creating healthy school environments.

UC Merced, to build a body of knowledge about local community health issues and the many factors that influence health equity in Merced County.

Department of Public Health, Merced County, to build the capacity to engage community groups, provide relevant community health data, and to increase organizational responsiveness to community priorities in Merced County.

Healthy House Within a MATCH Coalition, to increase community preparation to address mental health needs of residents, especially in Planada.

CCROP (Central California Regional Obesity Program)/United Way of Merced, to develop and implement school policies to increase physical activity in the Weaver School District.

San Joaquin Valley Workforce Funders Collaborative/United Way of Fresno, to strengthen alignment of existing resources for education and training and build stronger career pathways for unemployed and under-employed individuals in Merced.

Community Capacity Building Grants were also awarded to the following organizations:

California Rural Legal Assistance, to provide technical assistance to local advocates participating in BHC sites and to advance health equity policies and systems change on environmental justice and equitable development issues.

Merced Organizing Project/PICO California, to build a common identity among different community groups to increase ability to effectively advocate for improved health conditions in Merced.

Small Grants were awarded to the following organizations:

Love, Faith, Hope Inc., to provide employment training and internships in Merced.

Healthy House Within a MATCH Coalition, to support a leadership development program for ethnic and emerging leaders from the Central Valley.

Kashia, to support healthy improvement in the lives of Hmong women and youth.

Bible Christian Church of Le Grand, to support the development of a community garden.

Grants were also awarded to regional Central Valley grantees supporting all BHC sites. These grants were awarded to Central Valley Air Quality, Youth Leadership Institute, UCSF Doctor Academy, eight Central Valley Public Health Departments , and the Great Valley Center.

Statewide Content Specific Technical Assistance Grants were awarded to Project, LEAN, CANFit, New American Media, and California Walks.

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New Hub Steering Committee Ready to Work
Resident Elections and Blind Draw Completed

MERCED (April 18, 2011) – On Friday, April 15, the process of electing and selecting the BHC Hub Steering Committee members was completed. Elections were held at local Merced County public schools and the Boys & Girls Club in Merced. Candidates shared their vision, their dreams and their experiences with other local residents in Planada, the Beachwood/Franklin area and South Merced. Community-based organizations, systems leaders and public agencies gathered around the table at United Way as they waited to see which groups would be drawn as committee members. Six groups were chosen by blind draw to hold seats on the committee. There were no applicants for the two open resident representative seats for Le Grand. Applications for these seats are still being accepted.

The following residents were elected to fill the seats on the Hub Steering Committee:

YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE:

• Nalee Thao: Thao, a sophomore at Merced High School, has lived in Merced since she was born. She is active in KIWIN'S, a youth service organization. As part of BHC, she hopes to learn more about the community, build up her leadership skills, and interact with a variety of groups and people.

SOUTH MERCED RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVES:

• Christopher Ramirez: A lecturer at UC Merced, Ramirez dedicates himself to creating a gang youth mentorship program that bridges UC Merced and South Merced's at risk
  youth by training college students, partnering with ex-gang members, and providing youth with opportunities for writing and reflection in-order to cultivate their belief in a brighter future.
  
• Tamara Cobb: A Community Service Advocate for Outer Limit, Cobb works with youth and adults, providing access to legal services. She has committed more than 20 years of service to the Merced community. She is also currently attending law school.

BEACHWOOD/FRANKLIN RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVES:

• Dennis Haines: A 14-year resident of the Beachwood/Franklin area, Haines hopes to make a difference advocating for resources and services for this neighborhood. He works as the Operations Supervisor for the Merced County Office of Education’s Family Resource Council. Haines is also a board member for the Merced County Community Foundation.
  
• Loretta Spence: A member of the original BHC Steering Committee, Spence retired from the Merced County Department of Workforce Investment, where she was an employment and training specialist. She is now active working in the community with youth, schools, and CTA, helping to close the achievement gap.

PLANADA RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE:

• Alicia Rodriguez: After spending her youth in Merced, Rodriguez moved to Planada in 1984, where she married and raised two children, and where she plans on retiring. She works for the Merced County of Education for an after-school program and looks forward to making Planada a healthier place for youth and adults.
  
• Fabiola Cervantes: A 41-year resident of Planada, Cervante’s dream is to see equality for all Planada residents and to have their voices heard. Her passion is for education for all people of all cultural backgrounds.

The following organizations, agencies and systems leaders were selected from a blind draw to fill seats on the Hub Steering Committee. “Hub” Walsh, District #2 Supervisor, drew the names of the following applicants:

Economic Development- Riggs Ambulance Service (Sonya Severo):
They are the exclusive provider of pre-medical services for all of Merced County. Locally owned and operated, they provide a wide variety of services and programs that target all ages.

Education- Planada Elementary School District (Jose Gonzalez): Planada Elementary School and Cesar Chavez Middle School are the two schools located in this district.

Health- Central California Alliance for Health (Jennifer Mockus): Their mission is to ensure appropriate access to publicly financed health care for residents of Merced counties using a cost-effective, non-profit health plan.

Community Based Organization- Kashia (Kimiko Vang)- They are a grass-roots organization committed to addressing Hmong women and youth issues in the Merced community.

Youth Development- Court Appointed Special Advocates – CASA (Ashlee Williams) – CASA volunteers are trained to speak up for the best interests of a child in court and are appointed by a judge to recommend the best possible outcome for an abused or neglected child’s future.

Government- Housing Authority, County of Merced (Paula Mason)- The Housing Authority of Merced has several unique programs for the benefit of Merced residents: Homeownership, Family Self-Sufficiency, Resident Opportunity For Self-Sufficiency, and the After School Program

These Hub Steering Committee members will direct the future efforts of the Building Healthy Communities initiative, recently funded by The California Endowment.