Lemon Grove, San Diego County
Contact:
- Anita M. López
- Phone: (858) 609-7976
Address:
5095 Murphy Canyon Drive, Suite 105
San Diego, CA 92123
About Us
HEAL Zone | Link to HEAL Zone Fact Sheet
The Kaiser Permanente HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) Zone Initiative is designed to help combat obesity by making healthy choices accessible to more people in underserved communities across Southern California. The Lemon Grove HEAL Zone will empower residents to lead healthier lives through environmental changes that are sustained by policies and enhanced by education and promotion.
Strategies | Link to Cross Site Strategies
During the planning phase, Steering Committee members revised the final 36 strategies aimed to achieve 3 overall project goals:
1. Reduce calorie consumption
2. Increase consumption of healthy foods and beverages (e.g., water), and
3. Increase physical activity.
Strategies are grouped into 3 workgroup categories to incorporate the input of other Lemon Grove community members to inform the strategy implementation process.
Partners | Link to Partnership Structure
Modeled after the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative (SDCOI), the Lemon Grove HEAL Zone is comprised of Lemon Grove residents representing the 9 domains most influential in creating a healthier community: Business, Community, Early Childhood, Faith, Healthcare, Local Government, Media, Schools, and Service Organizations. In collaboration with project fiscal agent, Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP); program facilitator, SDCOI; and project funder, Kaiser Permanente, each domain has 2 representatives who form our Lemon Grove HEAL Zone Steering Committee.
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Lemon Grove Signs Agreement for New Community Garden
The Lemon Grove City Council formally approved a lease agreement for a community garden open to residents to plant fruit and vegetables on April 3, 2018. Proposed plans include over 40 planting beds, including areas specifically designed for seniors and handicapped-accessible spaces. Walter Oliwa, chairman of Lemon Grove Community Garden Council, is excited that this garden will be an opportunity for residents to "create a place where people can grow and eat fresh vegetables."
To learn more about the initiative, click here. -
City of Lemon Grove Adopts Health and Wellness Element
The City Council of Lemon Grove unanimously adopted a new Health and Wellness Element in their General Plan on July 15th. Mayor Mary Teresa Sessom expressed excitement for this new addition to their General Plan and the unanimous vote. The Element, prepared by CityPlace Planning, Inc. in conjunction with city staff, identifies policies and programs that encourage healthy eating and active living in the City. Graham Mitchell, City Manager, noted the successful outreach and engagement of Lemon Grove residents and the HEAL Zone Steering Committee for input through community events, public hearings, and workshops. For more information, visit City of Lemon Grove website or contact Melanie Briones.
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Collective Impact: Shared Experiences from the Field
In this series of videos, collective impact practitioners share what they have been learning through their work. Cheryl Moder, Director at Community Health Improvement Partners, discusses the San Diego Childhood Obesity Initiative and lessons learned through implementation of their countywide strategies. Other speakers include Kim Nolte from Georgia Public Private Partnership for Teen Pregnancy Prevention and Gabriel Guillaume from LiveWell Colorado. Details
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“Yoga Rascals” to Offer Children’s Yoga Classes
Yoga Rascals, a children’s yoga company based in La Mesa, has partnered with Lemon Grove School District’s Extended Day Program to teach yoga to elementary school students during their after-school care. Classes begin April 26 at San Altos Elementary.
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Austin Harvell Gets a Healthy Start to Civic Involvement
Austin Harvell is serving on a committee working to bring healthy changes to Lemon Grove, and volunteers at the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, his alma mater Vista La Mesa Academy and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park.
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Running the Streets of Lemon Grove
My name is Mark. My family and I work, live and play in Lemon Grove. And now ... I run in Lemon Grove. As a matter of fact, I will be attempting to run each and every street within the Lemon Grove city limits. Let me tell you why.
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Lemon Grove Residents Hone Skills with "Parents in Action" Program
Lemon Grove residents graduated from the California Project Lean "Parents in Action" training, equipped with the skills to be leaders of healthy food and physical activity changes in their schools and community. The parents are eager to engage with the Kaiser HEAL Initiative and plan to participate on the local District Health and Wellness Council.
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Lemon Grove and Ventura School Districts Awarded USDA Farm to School Grants
Lemon Grove School District was awarded a planning grant to develop a farm to school initiative at a new middle school. The district goal is to maximize use of local, minimally processed, and fresh foods in school meals every day.
Ventura Unified School District was awarded a grant to implement a countywide school food purchasing and marketing program that increases the quantity and quality of fresh, seasonal, locally grown foods. The district will also create the organization, infrastructure and systems to sustain and expand the program as an economic enterprise for the long-term.
During the first round, hundreds of applicants across the country competed for a limited amount of funding.
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24 Child Care Sites in Lemon Grove Receive Wellness Champion Designation
The Lemon Grove HEAL Zone and YMCA Childcare Resource Service (CRS) hosted a graduation celebration on November 7th for twenty-four child care providers who have earned a Wellness Champion designation. Providers worked with a Health Educator from the YMCA CRS to improve healthy food and physical activity opportunities at their sites.
All providers developed and established a wellness policy for their site insuring continued focus on health and wellness. Almost all of the graduates (21) built gardens and are following the Farm to Preschool Curriculum. "The children are asking for seconds of fresh produce and no longer using Ranch dip," said Carey Dunaway, from Merry Go Round Learning Center. The children are planting seeds, watering, tending and looking forward to their first harvest.
A Guide to Farm to Preschool in Home-based Child Care Sites (Link)