Sacramento is one of 14 communities selected by The California Endowment to be part of their 10-year, $1 billion plan called Building Healthy Communities (BHC). The Endowment’s investment of funding and technical support is enabling us to take action to make our neighborhoods more safe, and our community healthier.
The premise is that our health doesn’t begin in a doctor’s office. Where we live has an enormous impact on our health. Being able to breathe clean air, send our kids to school without fear of violence, to have a convenient place to buy fresh foods, to live near a park where we can walk and play – these are the things that prevent us from getting sick in the first place.
We believe your zip code shouldn’t predict how long you will live. And we believe good health starts today, right now, where we are, community action by community action.
In this first phase of the BHC initiative, the Sacramento Hub has organized and helped determine priorities for our local community. Representatives of the diverse community that makes up south Sacramento, referred to as the Steering Committee, have identified a need to:
- Give a real voice to community members.
- Create opportunities for individuals and small community organizations to get support for their efforts.
- Provide resources to our young residents, especially those in middle school and high school.
Over the next year, the Steering Committee will draft a plan for the next 3-5 years.
For interviews and additional background information about BHC and the Hub, contact the Hub Manager, Kim Williams at 916-454-1892 or by email.
For background information from The California Endowment and Building Healthy Communities, download the Endowment’s BHC Press Kit.
