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January 14, 2010
United Way Mobilizes Support for Haiti

The recent 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti has left hundreds of thousands without homes, and many thousands in need of assistance. “This terrible tragedy only makes worse the desperate living conditions of the people in Haiti” says Mary Lou Goeke, Executive Director United Way of Santa Cruz County United Way “They need our help more than ever”.

United Way Worldwide's Core Crisis Team has been mobilized and in contact with their Caribbean Regional Team to gather more information about the needs on the ground. If members of our community want to donate money to help people affected by the earthquake, go to the United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund: https://volunteer.united-e-way.org/uwwwdisaster/donate/ .

Checks can also be sent to the following with the Fund reference in either memo line or enclosed correspondence:

United Way Worldwide P.O. Box 630568 Baltimore, MD 21263-0568

As United Way Worldwide continues to evaluate the situation in Haiti, they will work with the existing United Way Caribbean Regional Council and members for insight on how to most effectively assist in long-term recovery efforts. Samuel Gonzales, CEO of United Way Puerto Rico, has said that his team is able to handle corporate in-kind donations. United Way Worldwide will coordinate with him and other United Way organizations in the region. In-kind donations from the general public are referred to Aidmatrix. Donations from Global Corporate Leadership companies, however, are given special consideration and will be personally reviewed by United Way Worldwide's Interim Crisis Director, Linda Daily.

For more information on United Way Worldwide’s response to this disaster, go to www.liveunited.org and www.unitedway.org/worldwide.

January 13, 2010
United Way of Santa Cruz County’s Go For Health! Collaborative Receives Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Major Grant to Increase Opportunities for Physical Activity and Availability of Healthy Foods

Capitola, CA, January 12, 2010 – The United Way of Santa Cruz County’s Go For Health! Collaborative has been awarded a $360,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to improve opportunities for physical activity and access to affordable healthy foods for children and families in Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley. Based on a rigorous selection process that drew more than 500 proposals from across the country, Watsonville/Pajaro Valley is one of 41 sites selected for the RWJF Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities initiative.

According to the California Healthy Kids Survey, 36% of Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s 5th, 7th and 9th graders were overweight or obese. And while the Pajaro Valley is home to an abundance of fields which grow strawberries, lettuce, artichokes and other fruits and vegetables, these fruits and vegetables rarely end up on the farm worker’s tables or in their children’s school cafeterias. The United Way of Santa Cruz County’s Go For Health! Collaborative will work to change the surrounding environment to increase children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables and increase their opportunities to participate in physical activity. Specifically Go For Health! will refine and share community data with area leaders, policy-makers and advocates; address city and regional policies regulating food outlets and built environment features such as sidewalks and bike lanes; and, help corner stores offer more product from local farms.

“Addressing the issue of childhood obesity through an environmental change strategy is perhaps the most effective way of helping our children maintain a healthy weight,” states Mary Lou Goeke, Executive Director of the United Way of Santa Cruz County. “That is, we must change the environment where our children grow up so that it is easy to make a healthy choice and difficult to make the unhealthy one. This grant will help the Go For Health! Collaborative in its efforts to bring health-minded, lasting changes to Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley.”

“To reverse this epidemic, communities are going to have to rally around their kids and provide the opportunities they need to be healthy,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Through this project, The United Way of Santa Cruz County and its partners are doing what it takes to make sure children lead better lives.”

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities is a $33 million national program and RWJF’s largest investment to date in community-based solutions to childhood obesity. With nine Leading Sites chosen in late 2008, the program now spans 50 communities from Seattle to Puerto Rico. All are targeting improvements in local policies and their community environment—changes that research indicates could have the greatest impact on healthier eating, more active living and obesity prevention. Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities is a cornerstone of RWJF’s $500 million commitment to reverse the country’s childhood obesity epidemic by 2015.

The 40 other cities and regions just announced as Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities sites are:

The new program grants will continue through June 2013.

Visit www.healthykidshealthycommunities.org to learn more about these communities’ work and plans.

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