Featured, Health — By South Kern Sol on February 6, 2015 7:02 pm  

By Aurora Cervantes

Editor’s Note: Kern County ranks 58th among California’s 58 counties in rates of heart disease, and 57th in diabetes, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In Kern, 6 out of 10 residents are considered obese. Looking to reverse these disturbing health trends, The California Endowment’s “Building Healthy Communities” initiative launched its “Live the Challenge” campaign, which looks to encourage residents to adopt healthier lifestyles.

ARVIN, Calif. — Building Healthy Communities launched its 5th annual “Live the Challenge” campaign at a community event at Arvin’s Veteran Hall late last month.

The January 29^th event drew upwards of 200 residents from around Kern County, many of who took on the campaign’s challenge of pledging to sustain healthy lifestyle changes for 100 days. At the end of the 100-day period, participants will join in a 5k ‘fun run’ and fair in Lamont.

The January event was also used as a forum to gather community input on what kinds of projects residents would like to see begun around education, the environment, recreation and other health-related areas.

South Kern Sol attended the event and asked community members, “What healthy change will you make for the next 100 days?”

check out this article to find out what they said.

5K/10K Fun Run Walk

Carrera y Caminata  de Diversión de 5k/10k

The first 1000 South Kern Residents or Partners to submit a pledge will receive a Gym/Tote bag.

Las primeras 1,000 personas que hagan el compromiso recibirán un gimnasio/bolsa de CCS

Residents of Arvin, Greenfield, Lamont and Weedpatch /Residentes de Arvin, Greenfield, Lamont y Weedpatch

You are invited to make one change for 100 days that will improve your health/Estas invitado hacer un cambio por 100 días que mejorara su salud.

Guidelines for Participation/Pautas de la participación:

• Choose one change that will improve your and your family’s health and make that change for 100 days./Elija un cambio que mejorara su salud y la de su familia y haga ese cambio por 100 días.
• Submit one “Live the Challenge” form per participant at your local Family Resource Center: Arvin – 207 South A St., Greenfield – 5400 Monitor St., Lamont/Weedpatch – 7839 Burgundy Ave./Entregue el formulario “Vivir el Reto” en un Centro de Recursos de la Familia: Arvin – 207 South A St., Greenfield – 5400 Monitor St., Lamont/Weedpatch – 7839 Burgundy Ave.
• Invite your friends and neighbors to “Live the Challenge”./ Invite a sus amigos y vecinos a que se comprometan a hacerse a sí mismos y a sus familias más saludables.
• Begin the challenge on or after Feb 6th./

Also Join the 5^th annual 5k/10k Fun Run celebration on April 25th in Lamont and see how your change has helped create a Healthier South Kern!

Acompáñenos en la 5ª  caminata/carrera anual el 25 de abril en la Lamont y vea como su cambio ha ayudado a crear un Sur de Kern mas Saludable

¡Todo mundo y todas las edades son bienvenidos!

Prizes! ¡Premios!

Food!  ¡Comida!

Free!  ¡Gratis!

For questions or more information, call Marina at 845-2724

Para preguntas o para más información, llame a Marina a 845-2724

Live the Challenge Registration

Live the Challenge Registration SP

On behalf of The California Endowment, Rural Community Assistance Corporation, and Community Water Center, you are invited to the South Kern Agua4all Initiative Launch Event in Lamont on Thursday, January 29, 2015.

The Agua4all Initiative seeks to create and promote increased safe water access and consumption in light of the health and equity issues such as unsafe drinking water and consumption of unhealthy, sugar sweetened beverages throughout California’s most underserved communities, specifically in South Kern and Eastern Coachella.

This very important media and community event will celebrate the first round of installation of 120 water bottle filling stations.  Your strong support and partnership for increased safe water in your community has been vital and has resulted in the local schools, parks, libraries, health clinics, and other community spaces in Arvin, Lamont, and Weedpatch getting these stations!  Come and try out a filling station with a water bottle and meet the school and community partners; local and State officials; funders; and non-profits that made this happen.  We want to celebrate and recognize the strong leadership of all of these partners, yourself included.

We would be honored if you could join us to launch this important effort to ensure that all Californians lead healthy, vibrant lives by creating innovative solutions together through safe drinking water.

Please RSVP HERE and we look forward to seeing you there!

DATE
Thursday, January 29, 2015

TIME

9:00 am – Mingle and Networking

10:00 am – Press Conference
LOCATION

Lamont Park

8304 Segrue Rd.

Lamont, CA 93241

QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions about the event or the Agua4all Initiative, please contact Shen Huang at shen.huang@communitywatercenter.org or call (559) 733-0219.

The new company Recology is taking over the recycling center and they would like to meet with the residents of Lamont and Arvin to introduce Recology and discuss their plans to upgrade the Lamont facility and improve operations.  Most importantly they want to listen to the community about current conditions and impacts.  Recology want to work hand in hand with community groups.

When: Monday December 15^th from 6-8pm

Where: David Head Center, 10300 San Diego Street in Lamont.

La nueva compañía Recology estará operando el centro de reciclaje y ellos quieren reunirse con residents de Lamont, Weedpatch, y Arvin para presentarse y discutir sus planes de actualizar y mejorar el reciclaje de Lamont y mejorar las operaciones. Lo más importante ellos quieren escuchar a los residentes sobre las condiciones e impactos. Recology trabajara mano a mano con los grupos comunitarios. Asiste y comparte tus preocupaciones.

Cuando: Lunes Diciembre December 15^th de 6-8pm

Donde: David Head Center, 10300 San Diego Street in Lamont.

Project submitted by Building Healthy Communities South Kern
Project summaryWhen community comes together to lift up their voice, powerful things can happen. In 2014 the rural, South Kern County communities of Lamont, Weedpatch, the unincorporated areas of Greenfield and the City of Arvin came together and patch by patch, families and community groups stitched together their hopes and dreams of a healthy community for the next generation to create a 11’9″ x 9’2″ communal quilt.

BHC site South Kern

Everyone who lives, works and plays in South Kern are partnering to create a healthy, safe and clean community that embraces our cultures and fosters opportunity for all residents, especially youth to develop their full potential.

Over 1,200 residents, youth, businesses and organizations are leading the Building Healthy Communities (BHC) South Kern effort to positively change the health of our communities through a shared vision, goals and action plan. Residents in Arvin, Lamont, Weedpatch, and the unincorporated areas of Greenfield are proving that we have the power to make health happen in our communities.

BHC South Kern is promoting healthy change in the areas of: • Education: Improving education from pre-K through adult • Environment: Creating a healthy environment with clean air and water • Health Access: Increasing access to a better health care system • Recreation: Improving recreational activities, facilities and parks