June 2016

Thank you to everyone who participated at the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund Partner Convening in Visalia on April 14. Representatives from all 58 Round 2 partners had an opportunity to meet, network and learn together. Following are some highlights from the convening:

• SJVHF partners engaged in a powerful conversation about “Building a Movement for Health and Racial Equity in Schools” and the many different lenses that apply to advance that work.
• Partners learned about advocacy and lobbying at a training session by the Alliance for Justice. Particular attention was paid to how to safeguard their 501(c)3 nonprofit status while engaging in bolder advocacy.
• As a cohort, partners empowered each other by engaging in an honest reflection. They lifted up the interconnectedness of issues, the importance of engaging youth and allowing them to lead with bold and innovative actions, the need to be nimble and flexible so that strategies can be quickly reassessed and shifted as needed, fearlessly advocating for what they want, and the value of collective and regional power.

The full-day event celebrated the recent investment of $1 million for systems change in the Valley and the first opportunity for the full cohort to come together. It was a great start to Round 2 of the SJVHF!

Since the SJVHF was launched in 2014, more than $1,660,000 has been granted to 58 community-based organizations to advance health equity in the San Joaquin Valley.

Victory! The families of Plainview have a community park, thanks to the tireless work of SJVHF partner El Quinto Sol de America, community residents, Self-Help Enterprises, Tulare County, Plainview Mutual Water Company and many more. Plainview residents are now able to enjoy the health benefits that research attributes to parks such as healthy child development, exercise and safe communities. Onward to all San Joaquin Valley residents having access to safe parks where kids can play and be healthy!

See a video created by the Tulare County Film Commission about the grand opening of the park on YouTube.

Photo credit: Self-Help Enterprises

Throughout California, millions of families are without safe, clean and affordable drinking water. Water advocates and community residents are changing that by educating decision makers and implementing policies that were passed by the State of California such as mandatory consolidation. For example, in Tulare County, thanks to the work of Community Water Center, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, California Rural Legal Assistance and many other nonprofit organizations such as Self-Help Enterprises, families will finally have access to long-term solutions instead of short-term solutions like emergency bottled water. To the water advocates and community residents, thank you for making California better by elevating the fact that water is a human right!

Read about East Porterville’s long-term solution on The Fresno Bee web site.

Read about Matheny Tract winning the fight for a long-term solution on the Visalia Times-Delta web site.

ACT for Women and Girls (ACT) is a nonprofit organization located in Tulare County that has been a SJVHF partner since Round 1. ACT’s mission is to engage women of all ages in leadership opportunities that will promote social and personal change. They accomplish their mission by building a bridge for rural women to link to larger movements while providing local leadership training and civic engagement opportunities. ACT has deep expertise in engaging youth, community mobilization for access to reproductive justice, and educating decision makers about gender injustice.

The SJVHF supports programs such as Student Health Advocates for Peer Empowerment (SHAPE). Jessica Reynoso (second from right in the photo below) is a youth leader and founding member of one of ACT’s programs, and thanks to her participation in SHAPE, she is determined to make change locally and beyond.

Jessica says that SHAPE “empowered me to create awareness in my community and advocate for change. Not only did it awaken the activist in me, it also empowered me. ACT allowed me to grow into a more confident individual. Being a member of SHAPE has provided me with opportunities I would never have imagined. From registering voters in Woodlake, having the courage to speak to peers and teachers about the very unpopular topic of sex ed, and educating my legislators at the state capitol – ACT has allowed me to do all of this.”

The San Joaquin Valley Health Fund Policy Committee is kicking off Round 2 with 41 organizational members. We meet in-person with call-in options available so that we continue to build relationships among partners who will promote a regional strategy for a healthier San Joaquin Valley that actively addresses health inequities.

Our next meeting is Wednesday, July 27, at the Center for Health Program Management’s San Joaquin Valley office at 521 W. Main St. in Merced.

Updates from Round 2 Policy Committee Meetings

• During the May 25 meeting, Policy Committee members decided to take steps toward the development of a regional civic engagement strategy that will have both short-term and long-term goals.
• At the June 23 meeting, Policy Committee members agreed to work toward a fall webinar series that will be multi-issue in focus, remain true to the Guiding Principles, and have the lens of health and racial equity. If your organization is interested in being part of this fall webinar series, please contact Amparo Cid or Nora Dunlap.

Opportunities to Get Involved

• Add your voice to developing the framework for a regional strategy on topics like civic engagement, land use, water justice, health, immigration, youth organizing or whatever topic you are passionate about.
• If you are new to the cohort, provide your edits to the Guiding Principles that were created by the original Policy Committee. Send suggested edits to Amparo Cid and Nora Dunlap by July 22.
• Volunteer to take a lead on a section of the SJVHF white paper. The white paper will be an opportunity for partners to share their expertise, apply a regional lens to the issues that we face in the San Joaquin Valley and define our own solutions.
• Contact Amparo Cid to join the Policy Committee!

These grants are for tree planting projects, and organizations from the San Joaquin Valley are highly encouraged to apply. The deadline is Saturday, August 27. To learn more, join a webinar on Tuesday, July 12, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

• Join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/
  register/7686396993657890820. Webinar ID: 125-627-123
• You can dial in using your phone: (872) 240-3212, Access Code: 525-058-517

On August 18, the California Rural Housing Coalition will host the 5th Annual San Joaquin Valley Affordable Housing Summit: The Housing Connection: Housing as an Anti-Poverty Strategy. This summit will address the housing crisis beyond issues of affordability, looking at the connections between housing and community health, environmental impacts, transportation access, educational opportunities, and community and economic development. Learn more.

The San Joaquin Valley Health Fund video series highlights partners and the work you are doing in the Valley. Two videos have been produced so far and they are available for viewing on YouTube.

As electricity prices continue to go up, The Utility Reform Network (TURN) reports that the number of shut offs in the Central Valley will increase and more people will go to social service and community-based organizations for help. To address this problem, TURN has created fact sheets in Spanish and English that provide information on how to stop the shut offs along with a list of resources for eligible fixed- or low-income customers. In addition, the California Public Utilities Commission, the body that oversees utility companies, will hold a public participation meeting on July 12 at the Fresno City Council Chambers, 2600 Fresno St. The purpose of the hearing is to give PG&E customers an opportunity to comment on PG&E’s newest request for a rate increase. This is an opportunity to voice your opinion on what another utility rate increase will mean to the communities you serve. For more information, e-mail Ana Montes or call (415) 954-8094.

While the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund does not fund lobbying, nonprofit organizations can lobby legally and effectively via the 501(h) election. Alliance for Justice has shared important resources on this IRS form and what it means for your organization. Most public charities can use IRS Form 5768 to make the 501(h) election. For additional resources from Alliance for Justice, check their public webinar schedule.

Read a report from The Century Foundation on four key changes for the Federal Transportation Program if it wants to help the country reach its full potential.

CRLA-Fresno is seeking a Staff Attorney. See the job description. E-mail questions to Estella Cisneros.

Coalition for Rural Housing is accepting applications for the position of Asset-Building Programs Manager to develop and lead programmatic and policy work for a variety of activities related to expanding asset-building strategies in rural communities. See the job description.

Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability is accepting applications for two open positions: Staff Attorney and Policy Advocate. Both positions will help them further their work in the San Joaquin Valley. See the Staff Attorney job description and the Policy Advocate job description.

We encourage all grantee partners to reach out to their colleagues to collaborate and connect on the system change and advocacy work you are engaged in. To facilitate that connection, we are providing a contact list of all current grantees.

This newsletter is for you and is by you! Please share stories, photos and upcoming events to be included in the newsletter.

If you or your organization tweets, please use the hashtag #SJVHF to call attention to the work you are doing in San Joaquin Valley communities!

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. These social media pages are resources for collaboration and connection with other organizations doing similar work. Please feel free to post upcoming opportunities, job announcements, etc.

Sierra Health Foundation
The California Endowment
Rosenberg Foundation
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The California Wellness Foundation
Blue Shield of California Foundation
Wallace H. Coulter Foundation

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