community Activity and Nutrition COALITION
Promoting Healthy Active Families
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WHO WE ARE
The Community Activity and Nutrition Coalition (CAN-C) of Sonoma County is a group of individuals, professionals and community based organizations concerned about the nutritional health, activity level and well-being of the residents in our community. The group was formed in 1998.
MISSION & GOALS
The mission of CAN-C is to promote optimal nutritional and physical health for Sonoma County residents with an emphasis on children.
The goals of CAN-C are carried out through sub-committees of the coalition and include:
- Increasing public awareness of nutrition and physical activity issues and potential solutions.
- Increasing opportunities for access to healthy foods and physical activity in all environments where children and adults live, work, learn and play.
- Advocating for health-focused policies and practices in school and community environments and empower community members to do the same.
- Promoting proven effective practices for prevention and treatment of nutrition/inactivity-related health problems within local health care systems and assure their availability.
- Building collaborative relationships with government and community groups that support CAN-C objectives.
CURRENT PROJECTS
Five projects, which operate under the auspices of CAN-C, are currently underway (2006-2010):
Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) – HEAL looks to increase the availability of healthy foods that people can afford and places where people can be physically active through environmental and policy changes in neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and healthcare. The area of focus for the project is south Santa Rosa. HEAL is supported by Kaiser Permanente’s Healthy Eating Active Living program.
Raising Healthy Active Kids (RHAK) – RHAK is working to enhance knowledge, skills, and resources of families, particularly those at highest risk, in order to provide Sonoma County children ages 5 and under with appropriate, healthy food choices and adequate physical activity opportunities.
Healthy Tomorrows – This project provides CAP/Roseland Children’s Health Center with access to timely well-child visits that emphasize healthy eating and physical activity.
Megan Furth Harvest Pantry – Donor funding allows the Redwood Empire Food Bank to increase access to produce, healthy foods, and knowledge about healthy eating in order to reduce anemia among low-income families with children under age 5.
Communities of Excellence – CX3 is a planning framework that evaluates communities in relation to a variety of benchmarks. Evaluation tools include food store surveys, walkability of neighborhoods, surveys of fast food outlets, outdoor advertising, alternative sources of healthy foods like farmers markets, local transit and emergency food providers. CX3 evaluations are conducted in order to help communities develop a local plan of action that wil promote policy, systems and environmental changes.
Who's Who
Community Partners
- UC Cooperative Extension
- Community Action partnership (Head Start & Roseland Children's Health Center)
- WIC (Sonoma County, Alliance & Sonoma County Indian Health)
- Santa Rosa City Schools Child Nutrition Services
- Sonoma State University - Sonoma SERVES Program
- Sonoma County Family YMCA
- Family Action of Sonoma County
- Northern California Center for Well Being
- County of Sonoma - Health Servies
- Redwood Empire Food Bank
- St. Joseph's Health System Sonoma County
- City of Santa Rosa Parks and Recreation Sonoma County Medical Association
- Kaiser Permanente
- Bauman College
- CAL SERVES
- FOOD Matters of Sonoma County
Information and Resources
For data about the incidence of childhood overweight in Sonoma County Childhood Overweight in Sonoma County.
For a copy of the press release Task
Force Announces New Initiative to Fight Obesity
For a copy about the Healthy Eating Active Living Community Health Initiative HEAL-CHI
For a Summary of the Raising Healthy Active Kids Project Grant from First
5 RHAK
For a copy of CAN-C/Kaiser Nutrition Education handouts in English and
Spanish handouts
The Fitness Fun Guides, developed by the Sonoma County Family Activity
and Nutrition Task Force, provide information on the many ways families
can participate in physical activity. Each guide is available in PDF format
for printing (both English and Spanish).
For more informationabout CAN-C or to become a member of the coalition, please contact Chris Bekins (707-565-6625 or cbekins@sonoma-county.org).
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