Campaign for a Healthier Bell Gardens

In 2008, FHCCGLA was granted funding through the Community Clinic Initiative (Tides Foundation and The California Endowment), which seeks to encourage community health centers to become catalysts for change in their patient population. With this support, FHCCGLA created the Campaign for a Healthier Bell Gardens. The Campaign brings together the Bell Gardens Chamber of Commerce, the school district and other local organizations to hold events in the city that promote healthy lifestyle choices, offer educational information and let residents know about FHCCGLA and the services available to them here.  To date the Campaign has initiated four school based gardens and organized regular farmer’s markets from which students are able to sell produce grown in their gardens. For more information please go to:
https://sites.google.com/site/bgiegc/

Community Mapping Project

The Farmer’s Markets are important events, because finding nutritious food in the city can be challenging. In 2009, Campaign for a Healthier Bell Gardens Coordinator Cynthia Romo and her team completed the Bell Gardens Community Mapping Project. After a detailed survey of the city’s 2.4 square miles, they found 141 convenience or fast food establishments and just three supermarkets. Since many residents have limited access to transportation, the scarcity of fresh produce in the area puts them at a dietary disadvantage, as evidenced by two issues FHCCGLA clinicians see most often: diabetes and obesity. However, the negative health impacts of both conditions can be reduced through proper nutrition and consistent, quality medical care.

School Gardens and Farmer’s Markets

To increase public understanding of good nutrition and stimulate a community conversation about how changes in eating habits can contribute to better health, the Campaign partnered with the Bell Gardens Intermediate School Gardening Program to participate in the students’ monthly Farmer’s Market with a mobile medical clinic. FHCCGLA has also helped the School Gardening Program expand to both Bell Gardens Elementary and Bell Gardens High School, where it has become enormously popular. The community response to the Farmer’s Markets has been positive, and the children working in the gardens cultivate self-esteem and pride in accomplishment while also sharing fresh, healthy foods with their families.

Accessing Wellness

Lack of access is a major obstacle the people of Bell Gardens have to overcome. For many in the region, access to nutritious food, health education and medical services is limited. With the Campaign for a Healthier Bell Gardens, FHCCGLA hopes to increase access and foster positive change in the lives of residents.

Renew LA

The Renew Los Angeles project is a collaborative effort with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the cities of Bell Gardens and Maywood. The project continues our efforts to tackle the crisis of obesity and related disease by focusing on public policies that promote the healthy food options. Through direct collaborations with members of city administration in our target communities we hope to improve the health and well being of residents, and demonstrate a commitment to work as a partner for positive change.