1. Promote and foster development of community/school gardens.
2. Impact General Plan processes to require inclusion of a health element.
3. Promote and foster organization wellness and provide services to corporations, business, government, institutions, nonprofits and faith-based groups.

 

1. Promote and foster development of community/school gardens.

Santa Clara County currently has a high rate of obesity – accelerating the development of diabetes and other chronic diseases – because diets lack fruits and vegetables. People consume inadequate fruits and vegetables because they lack access to healthy foods and they have easy access to unhealthy foods. The Health Trust works to improve access to healthy foods by promoting and fostering the development of community and school gardens. The Health Trust does this work by:

• Partnering with Santa Clara University in conducting a community/school garden needs assessment;
• Creating a framework for expanding and enhancing school/community gardens;
• Coordinating the expansion and enhancement of school/community gardens;
• Funding nonprofits to develop capacity to create or support community/school gardens.

In undertaking this work, The Health Trust aims to:

• Increase in number and quality of school and community gardens;
• Improve access to healthy, nutritious foods;
• Improve access to physical activity;
• Increase healthy eating and physical activity;
• Decrease overweight and obesity rates;
• Decrease the prevalence of diabetes and other chronic diseases.

 

2. Impact General Plan processes to require inclusion of a health element.

General Plans developed by counties and municipalities lay out the development of a community through policy statements. Land use and any development may not occur unless consistent with adopted general plans. Traditionally general plans for the development of the cities within Santa Clara County have failed to address health in the built environment, creating barriers to physical activity and lack of access to healthy foods. The Health Trust works to improve opportunities for nutrition and physical activity by supporting health and health elements in cities and counties general plans including supporting walkable and bikeable communities, access to grocery stores and public transportation. The Health Trust does this by:

• Developing and implementing advocacy strategies for local cities currently revising their general plans;
• Implementing a media and public education campaign to raise awareness about the importance of health elements in general plans
• Providing technical assistance (suggested/model language) to city planners;
• Funding organizations to advocate for and/or assist cities with the inclusion of health elements in the cities’ General Plans.

In doing this work, The Health Trust aims to:

• Increase in number of cities with General Plan Health Elements
• Improve access to physical activity and nutritious foods
• Decrease the rates of overweight and obesity as well as the prevalence of diabetes and other chronic diseases

 

3. Promote and foster organization wellness and provide services to corporations, business, government, institutions, nonprofits and faith-based groups.

Obesity is prevalent in Silicon Valley and it contributes to chronic illness. Work, school, and faith-based organizations typically have environments and practices that offer few opportunities to engage in physical activity, healthy eating, and other health promoting behaviors, thereby contributing to the obesity epidemic. These environments often make it easier to access unhealthy options. The easier it is to access healthy options, the more likely it is that people will take advantage of them. The Health Trust works to promote organizational wellness by supporting, promoting and providing organizational wellness services, called Worksite Wellness. In undertaking this work, The Health Trust aims to:

• Increase in number of organizations that provide best practice organizational wellness programs
• Improve access to healthy, nutritious food, and physical activity
• Decrease overweight and obesity rates and the prevalence of diabetes and other chronic diseases.