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Building Healthy, Equitable Communities
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January 2016 Newsletter
Touchdown for health

Newsletter

We’re back in action 

Use this month’s newsletter highlights as conversation starters next weekend and wow the crowd! To start with, we’re excited to announce the seven projects selected to receive 2016 Get Healthy San Mateo County Community Implementation Funding to help advance healthy, equitable communities across San Mateo County this year. Welcome aboard to: 

  • Community Alliance for Family Farmers
  • Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto
  • Faith in Action
  • San Mateo-Foster City School District
  • SPUR
  • Urban Habitat
  • Youth Leadership Institute.

We look forward to sharing milestones of their great work with you! Find more information on their projects here. 

Policies and strategies and data….oh my!

We’re looking for 2 grad student interns to join our team this summer. One intern will conduct an assessment of city-adopted goals and strategies to create healthy, equitable communities in San Mateo County. The other will analyze data to uncover socio-demographic characteristics and how these trends have impacted health overall. Know someone who would be a great fit? Applications are due February 29.

Items to include in this newsletter

Health by Numbers

Obesity in San Mateo County

Over 90% of lower-income adults, Blacks, Latinos and adults with a high school education or less are overweight or obese in San Mateo County. 

Staff Perspective Shireen Malekafzali

Renewed Energy, Clear Vision

Get Healthy San Mateo County Family and Friends,

2016 is here and what an exciting year it promises to be for Get Healthy SMC and our partners! The vision of healthy, equitable communities that all of you developed over the course of 5 workshops, focus groups and surveys, was compelling, comprehensive and inspiration:

News

Housing working families

The City of South San Francisco recently explored how to support local workforce housing by modifying existing regulations and/or utilizing new financing models. Tools like the Urban Land Institute’s recent report Preserving Multifamily Workforce and Affordable Housing looks at the financing tools available for preserving multi-family housing. The report specifically calls on private sector and community-based institutions to play a greater role in preserving existing affordable properties and producing new affordable units. 

News

Now that’s a productive Saturday

 Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) are hosting a special forum to better understand the affordable housing and displacement challenges facing the Bay Area. Join them Saturday, February 20th from 9am to 1:30pm at 1001 Broadway in Oakland.

Video
Watch and learn 

Watch and learn 

Grab some popcorn and sit back to learn all about how data and research can shed light on ways to create healthy, equitable communities that prevent displacement of low-income residents. Check out our own Shireen Malekafzali on the SF Federal Reserve’s panel, “Stemming the Tide of Displacement,” where she shares more about the impacts of housing on health and discusses the value of data in supporting healthy housing – jump ahead to around minute 41 for the health connection.

News

Pointing in the right direction 

The City of Brisbane is hosting their second workshop to seek community input on the Parkside at Brisbane Village Precise Plan on February 1 from 7-9 pm. Join the meeting and immediately provide input on issues like community health, housing, and transit using “Turning Point,” an interactive community platform that provides real time results. Get Healthy San Mateo County will also be presenting at this workshop on the importance of creating a healthy, equitable community.

News

The most walkable and bikeable of all

The newly formed San Mateo County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee is looking for members to help improve walking and biking in our county. Give your input on what skills and experience the interview panel should look for in applicants! Join the stakeholder workshop on February 3 at the City of San Mateo Library Laurel Meeting Room, from 6 to 7:45pm, and make your mark.

News

Minding student minds 

The first School Wellness Alliance meeting of the year is coming up February 25 at 1pm! Join us at the County Office of Ed to discuss how to promote mental wellbeing and mindfulness in local schools. Hear the latest on County mental health initiatives and how some schools have been able to promote health and wellbeing through a focus on mental health. RSVP in advance here.

News

A promise for healthier neighborhoods 

We were lucky to have Michael MacAfee, co-director of the Promise Neighborhoods Institute, join us in San Mateo County in late December to share best practices for developing and implementing strong cradle-to-career programs. These programs help break the cycle of poverty by focusing on education, and highlight the importance of collaboration, accountability, and a focus on results for our children.

News

Who earns what

Did you know that even among college grads, Whites earn the most? Across the board, Whites tend to earn more than every other race regardless of education level. Read more here.

News

Health by the day 

How are our health, food, and economy related? A UCSF study finds that state hospital visits for low blood sugar go up when the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP, aka food stamps) benefits run low towards the end of the month.