By Robert Fulton
The University of Southern California is located in a low-income area in South L.A. Longtime residents feel pushed out by the big demand for housing created by students and faculty. But the university says it is a good neighbor with programs designed to bring jobs to people who live in South L.A.
Parents trying to cook at home for finicky kids who are constantly exposed to Ronald McDonald, the Colonel and every sugary concoction imaginable are in for a struggle to start with. But cooking healthy? As difficult as that may be, Los Angeles restaurateur Steven Vasquez and his family are on a mission to ease parents’ pain – by coaxing kids themselves to realize the delight in eating healthy, delicious meals that contain fresh ingredients. With little fanfare, the Vasquez family for the last five years have been visiting Los Angeles-area recreation centers and other locations, holding exercise and cooking sessions for kids under the rubric “Cooking With Gabby” – Gabby being Vasquez’ daughter Gabriella.
By Genevieve Bookwalter
Twenty seven percent of Fresno residents worry about where their next meal will come from – that’s the highest food insecurity rate in the nation. Community gardens throughout the city are helping residents with the increasing costs of food.
With California school districts facing $248 million in cuts for school bus services starting this month and obesity rates at epidemic levels, it’s more critical than ever for local leaders to pursue strategies that encourage students to walk or bike to school.
By Helen Afrasiabi
The Santa Ana Unified School District is launching a school safety measure with a grant of nearly $500,000, awarded by the Department of Justice, with efforts aimed at kids at risk for gang involvement.
By Lynn Graebner
The SPCA for Monterey County is pairing at-risk youth in Salinas with at-risk dogs, and the benefits are blooming on both ends of the leash.
By Chris Richard
Hospitals, mobile clinics and churches are collaborating in the Imperial Valley to spread basic and preventative medical care.
By Helen Afrasiabi
At a primary care clinic in Santa Ana, doctors remain dedicated to family medicine, despite dwindling funds and an undervaluing of the specialty.
By Heather Gilligan
Residents don’t want to talk to police after a mass shooting in Oakland that claimed a child’s life – a reluctance that’s common after a high profile crime. The reasons for their hesitation are much more complicated than not wanting to “snitch.”
By Melissa Flores
Medicare reimbursements don’t cover the full cost of end-of-life care for the elderly, and a foundation on the Central Coast is helping to fill in the gaps.