Welcome Ruth Rosas, CLOCC Community Programs Coordinator
CLOCC is pleased to introduce Ruth Rosas, who will be serving as a Community Programs Coordinator for the Consortium.
Among her myriad responsibilities, Ruth will be focused on walking, biking and accessibility promotion and advocacy. She will be working primarily on Chicago's West Side.
Prior to coming to CLOCC, Ruth served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji, where she led projects related to student health in schools and an initiative to improve access to bicycles for young people in a small urban area of the island. In Fiji, Ruth also recruited and supervised youth volunteers, students, and youth clubs to fulfill environmental stewardship projects.
Ruth also has experience as an adult English language instructor in Mexico. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Ruth can be reached at
rrosas@luriechildrens.org
. Please join us in welcoming her to the CLOCC family.
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Join our Team!
CLOCC is Seeking a Community and School Programs Manager
CLOCC is seeking a manager to lead the development and implementation of community- and school-based obesity prevention strategies and manage community-based interventions.
Strategies and interventions will focus on improving food access and environmental conditions to support healthy eating and physical activity in Chicago institutions and communities. This will be achieved through the management and oversight of CLOCC's team of Community Program Coordinators, effective interaction with the rest of CLOCC's staff, and coordination with partner organizations.
In managing these aspects of the CLOCC program, the Program Manager will track progress on deliverables and financial expenditures related to these projects, oversee the work of volunteers and temporary student assistants, represent the program to community partners and other external organizations, collaborate on partner projects, and assist with the development of project proposals and stewardship reports.
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FOCUS UPSTREAM
Updates on social, structural and other root causes of obesity
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CLOCC continues to expand our focus "upstream" to identify the fundamental root causes of obesity, and to broaden the scope of our obesity prevention strategies. This work coincides with heightened local and national attention to health equity and social determinants of health, such as immigration, education, poverty and racism, all of which have an impact on people's ability to eat healthy and be active where they live, work, learn, and play. If you have comments or questions about this focus, we invite you to reach out to info@clocc.net.
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Support Illinois SB 1290 to Protect Immigrant Housing Rights
Immigrants in Illinois are at risk of being denied rental housing opportunities, or of being mistreated when living in rental housing. The Immigrant Tenant Protection Act, SB1290, would prohibit landlords from harassing, threatening, or evicting tenants based on any perceived immigration or citizenship status. The Shriver Center has written an op-ed detailing the importance of this legislation and created a petition page for supporters to contact their Representatives.
As of May 14, 2019, the Immigrant Tenant Protection Act, previously passed by the Illinois Senate, had advanced out of the House Judiciary-Civil Committee and been placed on the calendar for its third reading. Please follow the steps of this petition to ask your state representative to vote yes on this important measure.
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FRAC Report Details Challenges, Opportunities for Improving WIC
Many pregnant women, new mothers, and their young children in the U.S. are missing out on the healthy nutrition they need, according to Making WIC Work Better: Strategies to Reach More Women and Children and Strengthen Benefits Use.
The report, released on May 7, 2019, highlights strategies to reach and serve more of those who are eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Included in the report is the revelation that, in fiscal year 2018, WIC served an average of 6.9 million participants each month, down 23 percent since 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Barriers at national, state, and local levels have contributed to this decline.
"Good nutrition is important in all stages of life, but particularly so in the earliest years, when it serves as a critical building block for a healthy future," said Geri Henchy, FRAC's director of nutrition policy and early childhood programs. "No mother should be worried, on any day, about how she will provide nutritious food to her children to maintain their health and prevent hunger."
Check out the report for more information on how to break down barriers to participation, identify strategies for your state, community or program, and to make the case for WIC.
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2019 Healthy Chicago 2.0 Seed Grants Awarded
On Monday, May 13th, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) announced the recipients of the 2019 Healthy Chicago 2.0 Community Seed Grants.
A total of $150,000 was awarded to six local organizations to "support locally-driven activities and solutions aimed at improving the built environment to promote community walkability in connection to public transit."
The Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) is proud to count several Seed Grant recipients among its partners. We congratulate all of the recipients and look forward to providing technical support and assistance to help build walkable, accessible and safe communities where Chicago's kids and their families can play and be active.
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Illinois PRC Releases Action Learning Briefs for Healthy Living & Health Equity
 The Illinois Prevention Research Center (PRC) has introduced a five-part Action Learning Brief Series focused on using Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Change to provide evidence-informed and practical guidance for organizations, collaboratives, and communities. The series, which rolled out starting Monday, May 13, is designed to promote healthy living and health equity through PSE change.
Contributors include CLOCC, the Cook County Department of Public Health, MidAmerica Center for Public Health and more.
Follow the series release on twitter via @UICPRC
Subjects of the series include:
- Policy, systems, and environmental change.
- Six phases for building sustainable impact through policy, systems, and environmental change.
- Key drivers of success: What catalyzes lasting change in your organization or community?
- Technical assistance types: What support is needed to catalyze policy, systems, and environmental change?
- What are action steps and resources to help your organization apply the six phases of policy, systems, and environmental change?
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Free Evaluation Training Opportunity
Monday, June 10, 2019
The Smith Child Health Research, Advocacy and Outreach Evaluation Core, based at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, will host a free training: "Using Focus Groups in Evaluations." This session will be appropriate for those unfamiliar with the conduct of focus groups or those who want to brush up on their focus group techniques.
Using Focus Groups in Evaluations
When: June 10th, 2019, 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Where: Lurie Children's Hospital, 225 E. Chicago Avenue, 11th floor, room 11-152
The session will cover:
- How to tell if a focus group is right for your context
- Basic focus group techniques
- Focus group guide development
- Facilitation techniques
- Analytic approaches
Reservations are required.
Please contact Darice Kneeland (
dkneeland@luriechildrens.org) by May 29th to reserve your spot. Space is limited.
This session is made possible through the generous donation of an anonymous donor.
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Active Transportation Alliance to Host Pre-Summer Ambassador Training
Thursday, May 30, 2019
 The Active Transportation Alliance has issued an invitation to participate in Active Trans Ambassador Training for those who wish to spread the message about transportation advocacy and the importance of walking, biking, and transit to residents throughout the region.
By the end of the training, participants will be well-versed in the mission of Active Trans and its advocacy campaigns. You will develop the confidence and skills to build the active transportation movement in your community through meetings with your local elected officials and outreach at local events.
Those who go through the training will be given a special, limited edition Active Trans Ambassador t-shirt.
Ambassador Training
When: Thursday, May 30, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Active Transportation Alliance, 35 E. Wacker Dr., Suite 1782
Space for this training is limited to the first 35 registrants.
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