Follow The Health Trust on Twitter! www.twitter.com/healthtrust   June 2009 In this issue Community Gardens to Harvest 180,000 Pounds of Produce Celebrating a Year of Healthy Smiles Health Trust Supports, Promotes Good Financial Health  Students Receive Awards for Their Committment to Wellness Heros for HIV/AIDS Clients Awards __________ Key Dates 6/18 Heros for HIV/AIDS Clients Awards 6/25 Unnatural Causes Screening - Becoming American 6/27 National AIDS Testing Day

The Health Trust Receives $1.2 Million Grant to Harvest 180,000 Pounds of Produce for Silicon Valley Residents!

Thanks to a grant from AmeriCorps, The Health Trust is poised to enlist 46 AmeriCorps Service Members to work with partner agencies and community volunteers to harvest nutritious fruits and vegetables from eight community gardens; and many of the gardens will be brand new!

The Health Trust has received a grant to work community gardens throughout Silicon Valley.

Once fully operational, the gardens will provide 180,000 pounds of locally grown produce to Silicon Valley residents. Service Members and volunteers will work with area schools to educate students about gardening and healthy eating. They will also work with low income communities to increase their access to locally grown, organic produce.

“This is a most exciting project,” says Health Trust CEO Frederick J. Ferrer. “Community gardens are a fantastic way to promote nutrition and physical activity in a way that is educational and fun, especially for kids.”

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, please email katiep@healthtrust.org. 
Back to top   

Celebrating a Year of Healthy Smiles

Almost exactly one year ago today, The Health Trust and Children’s Dental Group cut the red ribbon and opened the doors to the brand new, state of the art Children’s Dental Center in East San Jose. Since that time, the Center has served almost 1,000 children, the vast majority on public coverage. To take a virtual tour of the Dental Center, visit www.healthtrust.org/dentalcenter. 

Oral Health Evaluation Brief
Over the past ten years The Health Trust has worked to improve oral health in Silicon Valley, investing close to $7.5 million. The following brief outlines what we have accomplished in oral health improvement and the challenges ahead:

The Health Trust’s Oral Health Evaluation Brief (PDF) 

Superintendents Endorse Fluoride

Several prominent county organizations including The Santa Clara County Office of Education, Head Start Program and the Santa Clara County Superintendents Association endorsed optimal fluoridation for Silicon Valley. Optimal fluoridation is proven to improve the oral health of kids and adults.  Learn what you or your organization can do by contacting nicolek@healthtrust.org or visit www.healthtrust.org/oralhealth to show your support. 
Back to top

Health Trust Supports, Promotes Good Financial Health

Often called “the hidden gem” of the multitude of services The Health Trust provides in Silicon Valley, The Financial and Administrative Support Services (FASS) provides Silicon Valley nonprofits with financial accounting assistance, freeing them from the day-to-day worries of financial management.

Health Trust CFO Ira Holtzman and his staff provide financial accounting assistance to 24 organizations in Silicon Valley.

FASS began five years ago as the brainchild of Health Trust CFO Ira Holtzman and now services two dozen clients ranging from the Tech Museum of Innovation to School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County. Holtzman and his staff of 17 provide an array of financial services and expertise to non-profit organizations.  “It’s one of the best decisions we ever made,” said David Gonzalez, executive director of Santa Clara County’s Friends Outside chapter and FASS client. The Health Trust recently received a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to expand the number of FASS clients it serves. To learn more, please contact Irah@healthtrust.org. 
Back to top  

Silicon Valley Students Receive Awards, Recognition for Their Committment to Wellness

Almost 100 students, their family members and education leaders attended The Health Trust's Youth Engaged in Advancing Health (YEAH!) Recognition & Awards Night on May 31.  High school students who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to improving health at their schools and their local communities were recognized, including 11 members of the Youth Adivsory Board. Congressman Mike Honda presented high school students with  $500 Health Trust scholarships for their outstanding leadership. Schools also received recognition for group projects to promote health.  

To learn more about the YEAH! program or to get involved, visit www.healthtrust.org/yeah or contact katiep@healthtrust.org. 
Back to top

Heros for HIV/AIDS Clients Awards

On June 18, 2009 The Health Trust will honor those leaders who have been very important advocates for our clients with HIV/AIDS, over the past year. The Health Trust will honor Assemblymember Jim Beall, Supervisor Liz Kniss, Supervisor Ken Yeager, Silicon Valley AIDS Coalition, Westgate Church and longtime Health Trust volunteer Jerry Larsen with its First Annual Heros of HIV/AIDS Clients Awards. The event will take place at Theater Q in Palo Alto, and the awards ceremony will be followed by an exclusive performance of the Terrence McNally play, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, a classic LGBT play written in the early 90's that, in part, deals with the ignorance of how people can contract HIV and AIDS. For more information about this special awards night, please contact nicolek@healthtrust.org.
Back to top