Community Health Day of the Week Tuesdays Time 4:00-6:00 p.m. Location Church of the Epiphany: 2808 Altura St. Los Angeles, CA 90031 Who can join? Open to community members of all ages in Lincoln Heights, Chinatown, and Solano Canyon Description and History The idea to develop SEACA's community health curriculum was created in response to a survey conducted in 2008 by SEACA students at Alpine Recreation Center, a popular community space in Los Angeles' Chinatown that has one of the highest densities in the city. Based on survey results, students found that existing programs at the center were not relevant to the community. Rather, survey respondents had expressed that they wanted different classes such as dance and cooking. Additionally, SEACA students at the time had been asking staff about cooking lessons because they wanted to learn how to prepare food on their own while their parents were at work. Finally, the third catalyst to develop community health programming was through the SEACA youth's participation in the LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) meetings on school food as the district was undergoing major policy changes to ban soda and revamp their cafeteria menus. After cooking classes were created, SEACA staff have worked to secure a gardening space to give the program a more holistic and environmentally-friendly approach to building healthy communities. Connecting different generations together has been a long-term goal of the community health classes. While other SEACA programs focus on youth development, this particular curriculum intends to build relationships among community members of all ages. The organization's philosophy behind this program is that potential lies in the vast cooking and gardening experiences of the older generations in the diverse Southeast Asian community. These classes are taught by SEACA staff as well as community volunteers with expertise in specific food dishes, health, and gardening. Program participants can learn healthy eating activities and strategies, how to grow and prepare their own foods, and gain insight into different cultures through food and gardening. SEACA provides food and materials at no cost to members who participate in these classes. |
Community Health |