Gardening Toward a Healthier Community in Riverside, California

Taking Action in the Community

Assess:
Eastside residents display high incidences of obesity and related health issues even among the very young. CSA is strengthening its nutrition program in the areas of nutrition and education. CSA has been a food distribution center that serves more than 100 family units three times weekly. Like many food distribution centers, storage of fresh produce is limited or nonexistent. Even when available, fresh produce has a short shelf life. A healthy lifestyle includes healthy eating and exercise which increases the need for fresh produce. CSA had to determine a way to provide fresh produce on a regular basis to its customers. This led to the planning of the existing community garden. Located in Southern California, this garden can be maintained year round.

Plan:
CSA’s mission is “to develop a self-sufficient and collaborative community based on family wellness, education, civic engagement, cultural awareness, and community capacity building.” The ultimate goal of MNG/OHF is “to improve overall health in the Eastside community.” Every CSA participant is required to fill out a client intake form enabling CSA staff to understand what is needed by the community. The development and implementation of the community garden and nutritional workshops have achieved many objectives to date, including adding raised planting beds, implementing the Healthy Families Program, and increasing community outreach programs. The need for increased square footage for the garden exists, but acquiring the funding and space for such additions still remains. Community involvement in the garden by volunteers and the Afternoon Adventures program members increases community awareness and pride for the CSA garden. All of these actions are providing for a healthier lifestyle for Eastside residents.

Act:
The Afternoon Adventures club consists of school-aged children whose families participate in other CSA programs such as CAFÉ, Drinking Drivers, or the food distribution program. These children help to maintain the community garden. Showing them how to garden at a young age will hopefully lead to lifelong gardeners who understand the importance of fresh produce in one’s daily life. Instilling these goals now will lead to a healthier population in the future. CSA has many volunteers who assist the youth, including the Riverside East Rotary who assisted by planting the garden, installing an irrigation system, and adding raised planting beds. Community churches and schools are making their buildings available for the nutritional workshops. CSA is collaborating with the local schools on a grant to develop school site gardens.

Evaluate:
MNG/OHF was started using stimulus funding in cooperation with the Community Assistance Partnership. ARRA funding has expired, but based on both the need to maintain a healthy community and the impact these programs already demonstrated, CSA is pursuing supplemental grants to not only continue the existing programs but to expand them. Evaluation reports were submitted on a regular basis enabling CSA staff to ensure that goals and objectives were being met and to make adjustments as needed. Many changes were made due to the growth of the program as MNG/OHF has exceeded its original goals and is continuing to expand into the community and schools.

Sustain:
Volunteers, Afternoon Adventures and CSA staff continue to maintain the community garden and the programs for MNG/OHF. CSA is collaborating with community entities to continue and expand the existing programs as these programs have become an important component in ensuring a healthy community. CSA will continue to apply for grants, both individually and in collaboration with other community organizations, to continue funding such a vital community program. MNG/OHF has no end date as long as funding is available and the continuing need for a healthier community exists.