YBHC Oakland
Fall 2010
Our Goal When we first started, we as youth didn’t understand exactly what ‘health’ meant to us. Our goal for this project was to find the reasons why we as a community are generally unhealthy. The first part of the project was to learn about our definition of health in order to get a better grasp on the health issues in Oakland. We see ‘health’ as more than just our physical well being, but our community well being, and having opportunities to feel safe, valued and happy. Next, we went into the streets and found community members who were willing to discuss health topics with us. We figured in order to help our people it is necessary to hear the ideas and thoughts directly from their mouths. Now that we have collected and analyzed the data, our next goal is to develop action plans to promote healthier lifestyles for the people of Oakland.
Our Vision When we first started the project we: watched our family members struggle with obesity and diabetes, saw our peers dealing with severe mental health issues, witnessed racism within our schools, and noticed the lack of preventive health knowledge within our families. After identifying these issues we learned that this is not how people in Oakland should live, we feel our community deserves better. We envision a city where: healthy foods are easily accessible, community members create a strong social support group and invest in youth development, neighborhoods are free from racial violence, and where access to health care and opportunities for success is a right and not a privilege.
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