Eastside Riverside, Riverside County
About Us
HEAL Zone | Link to HEAL Zone Fact Sheet
The HEAL Zones are a Kaiser Permanente program designed to help make healthy choices more accessible to people in underserved communities.
The vision of the HEAL Zones is that communities will be measurably transformed so that opportunities for engaging in healthy behaviors—walking and biking on safe routes, buying affordable fresh fruits and vegetables close to home, exercising in parks, and participating in active after-school programs—are part of daily life. There are seven HEAL Zones in Northern California and ten HEAL Zones and Partnership Grants in Southern California.
The Eastside HEAL Zone Initiative is a collaborative of members representing both public and private sectors, including residents, county agencies, school district staff, community businesses, elected officials, park and community services staff, local health clinics and foundations. The initiative is resident-driven, focused specifically on the Eastside neighborhood within the city of Riverside, and facilitated by the Riverside Community Health Foundation.
Expected Outcomes
- Increased awareness, knowledge, skills, and motivation to recognize and make healthy behavioral choices
- Improved resident leadership and civic engagement
- Improved leadership buy-in and engagement among elected/appointed officials
- Improved community safety
- Increased physical activity opportunities and spaces
- Improved collaboration between community partners
- Increased access to fruits and vegetables
- Reduced availability of sugar sweetened beverages
- Decreased access to unhealthy food and beverages
- Improved proportion of patients who are regularly assessed for obesity, diabetes, and/or heart disease
- Increased referrals and coordination between clinics and community resources and programs Improved capacity to manage chronic conditions
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Maximized outreach, enrollment, retention, and utilization in federal food programs
Improved policies to screen and enroll for federal food programs eligibility
Partners and Collaborative Meetings
The Eastside HEAL Zone Initiative is a collaborative of members representing both public and private sectors, including county agencies, school district staff, community businesses, elected officials, park and community services staff, local health clinics and foundations – focused specifically on the Eastside neighborhood within the city of Riverside.
We invite and welcome residents, groups and organizations to join the Eastside HEAL Zone to combat obesity. Collaborative meetings are held every 3rd Thursday from 12:30 - 2:30 pm. For more information, contact Nelly Telleria at (951) 788-3471 Ext. 119 or nelly@rchf.org.
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5th Annual Walk by Faith Event
Eastside HEAL Zone and the Riverside Community Health Foundation hosted the fifth Annual Walk by Faith event at Park Avenue Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday, April 29, 2018. The event brought together faith leaders and community members to promote community unity, healthy eating, active living, and spiritual well-being. Approximately 400 attendees and nine churches participated in this year’s event, the largest to date. The faith-based partners are transforming the mind, body and soul of their community through these large-scale events and through healthy food and beverage policies in their parishes. Through the partnership with Riverside Community Health Foundation, they are also offering health education classes that focus on nutrition, balance and disease prevention.
For more information, click here.Patrice Hill
Program Assistant, Eastside HEAL Zone
Riverside Community Health Foundation
4275 Lemon Street, Riverside, CA 92501Office: 951-788-3471
Email: Patrice@rchf.org
Website: www.rchf.org -
Photovoice
In partnership with City of Riverside Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, a youth photovoice project was launched in July 2012. Teens in the summer parks program wandered the Eastside community in search of healthy and unhealthy messages. Armed with cameras, they took photos of things that might discourage or motivate them to make healthy choices, such as playing at the park or selecting a healthy beverage at the store. They identified outdoor safety and neighborhood cleanliness as two main issues that could be addressed that would support a healthier teen lifestyle. You can view some of the pictures taken by our youth on our PhotoVoice tab!
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Healthy City Mapping
In partnership with “Healthy City”, Eastside residents and community leaders were invited to a mapping session to identify locations that could serve as model sites for nutrition and physical activity. In small groups, residents sat around large neighborhood maps to pinpoint stores, small markets, parks, and community centers that are vital to the health and safety of the Eastside. Attendees also designated areas for improvement that each location could address to support their community in health. Through our partnership with Network for a Healthy California, several markets are being offered assistance in making those resident-requested improvements.
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Neighborhood Specific Plan Updates
Several members of the HEALZone Initiative are actively participating in the city’s public process of updating the neighborhood specific plans of the Eastside, including University Avenue and Marketplace Specific Plans. Residents, health professionals, business owners, university representatives and city staff participated in several workshops and public comment sessions to incorporate health into the plan updates. Specific plans make recommendations and requirements for any future building, sidewalk, street, transportation, utility and business infrastructure improvements made within a designated area of the city. These plans are currently in draft form, and address green space, recreation, walking and bicycling accommodations, housing, business uses, as well as cultural and historical preservation of a neighborhood.
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East Riverside Youth Weekend Retreat Helps Turn Local Action into Global Change
The Child Leader Project (CLP) in Riverside is leading eastside Riverside HEAL Zone youth to go local and global on health issues. Samantha Wilson, CLP's Director, arranged a weekend trip for the youth to learn about food justice programs in Oakland, CA. Their visit with Planting Justice gave them first hand experience on youth-led organizing on food accessibility and sustainable business models for employing low income youth in food justice work. They toured Oakland's community and backyard gardens planted and designed by youth in Planting Justice. CLP youth and young adults also have opportunities to connect with their international peers through creative collaboration, leadership, conflict resolution, and community organizing.
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Twelve HEAL Initiative Youths Shine at Statewide Conference
Hollywood High School, Long Beach, Ontario and Riverside youth participated in the California Center for Civic Participation (CCCP), a statewide Youth Advocate Network for Sustainable Communities (YANSC) conference in Sacramento from May 20 - 22. The mission of CCCP is to empower youth to be vital participants in decision making processes at all levels.
The youths had the opportunity to present to an audience of statewide policymakers at the State Capitol on their top priority strategies in the areas of transportation, land use, food access and education. They also met with their local representatives to provide perspective on the strengths and challenges their communities face to create healthy active environments for residents. The youths will work with the HEAL Initiative partners to recruit new members and meet regularly to work on issues in their communities. -
Anaheim, Oildale and Riverside Participate in Screening of HBO's THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION
The Weight of the Nation™ documentary series and public health campaign, which aired in May on HBO, presents a unique opportunity to spotlight the severity of the obesity epidemic, showcase strategies that work and, most importantly, catalyze action to end obesity. Anaheim, Oildale and Riverside hosted screenings in their communities and have said that these resources are great to "spark discussion and solutions" and to "engage and inform."
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Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Riverside Join California's Bicycle Friendly Community Program
The Bicycle Friendly Community Program (BFC) provides incentives, hands-on assistance, and award recognition for communities that actively support bicycling. A Bicycle Friendly Community welcomes cyclists by providing safe accommodation for cycling and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation.