Building Healthy Communities 
Newsletter 
February 2016
Residents Invited to Learn and Give Feedback About Bakersfield College Programs Offered in Arvin, Feb. 18



An important discussion on the services offered by Bakersfield College (BC) in South Kern will be held on Thursday, Feb. 18 at the Arvin's Veterans Hall. Residents are invited to learn and give input about the courses and services being offered to South Kern residents at Arvin High.
  • Hear from BC's President and Administration.
  • Learn about BC programs and services available locally.
  • Find out how to access BC services in Arvin even if you are not a student.
  • Discuss and provide feedback on how we can help more local youth access BC and go to to college!
The discussion will be held Thursday, Feb. 18 at Arvin Veteran's Hall, 414 4th St., Arvin, CA 93203 from  5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dinner and childcare will be provided. Please help us spread the word!

For more information please call (661) 854-6525 or click here.
Pledge to Make Health Happen in Your Life, Live the Challenge!

Thanks to everyone who joined us to kick off our sixth annual Live the Challenge last month! 

It's still not too late to Live the Challenge with other South Kern residents who are making health happen in their community. Last year, over a thousand South Kern residents committed to make a healthy lifestyle change for 100 days and over 300 runners attended the Live the Challenge Run/Walk in April!

To get involved, think of a healthy change you are willing to make for 100 days for you or your community and click  here to make it official!

For more information, please call 661-845-2724.

 
Building Healthy Communities South Kern is on the Big Screen!

Have you had the chance to catch a movie at a local movie theater in the past few weeks? If so, you might have seen our new BHC theater ad, which will be running throughout February. 
 
But if you haven't, check it out here!
 
 
Let us know know what you think. You can view the ad on our Facebook page and our website: healthysouthkern.org.

Don't forget to share and like our video on social media with the hashtag #healthysouthkern
 
Visit our Facebook | Twitter | Instagram and like our page. 
Why Zero Tolerance Policies Don't Work at Schools    

Jesse Aguilar, a teacher at East Bakersfield High School and the vice president of the Kern High School District Teachers Association, wrote an  op-ed that highlights the importance of implementing alternative discipline methods in our schools. Aguilar is also a member of BHC-SK's Kern Education Justice Collaborative (KEJC).

The op-ed was published in the Bakersfield Californian on Feb. 1Click on the link to read more. 

Lamont Residents Get Chance to Review Wastewater Plan
   
In late January, Lamont and Weedpatch residents who have been working on wastewater issues for the past five years had a chance to review and give input on the findings of an independent study of Lamont Public Utilities District's (LPUD) plans.

The final report includes seven recommendations to reduce potential impacts of the current plan on the community and the environment. The reccomendations include, that Recology, the composting company that handles about one million gallons of wastewater, train staff on safe handling practices of treated wastewater and pesticides, participate in the National Biosolids Partnership, and use appropriate equipment to minimize water quality and quantity impacts. The report also recommends that Recology and LPUD  engage the community in decisions that affect them.

Read a summary of the findings here.

About Us
 
Building Healthy Communities is a comprehensive community initiative that is creating a revolution in how Californians think about and support health in their communities.  

More than 2,500 residents, youth, businesses and organizations are leading the BHC-SK effort to improve 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-SK is promoting healthy change in the areas of:
  • Education: Improving education from pre-K through adult education
  • 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

We have the power to build healthy communities for the next generation.

 

In This Issue
Live the Challenge 2016



Click here to learn more about Live the Challenge 2016!





 

Health Happens Here
  In partnership with
The California Endowment