Community Fruit and Vegetable Garden to Bloom in San Diego's Diverse Diamond District Neighborhoods.

Consumer Empowerment Forum for Change Offers Creative Solutions to Community Health Issues

SAN DIEGO -- A new fruit and vegetable garden that will help encourage healthy lifestyles and improve health outcomes in the underserved and diverse Diamond District neighborhood of southeastern San Diego was launched today by a collaboration of business, faith-based organizations, elected officials and community-based organizations. The garden was unveiled during the Network for a Healthy California (Network) -- African American Campaign's 2008 Consumer Empowerment Forum for Change (Forum) held at the Tubman Chavez Multicultural Center at 415 Euclid Avenue in San Diego.

The Forum empowers African American consumers to work in collaboration with a variety of community partners to change the landscape of low-income neighborhoods by increasing the availability of fruits and vegetables which support healthier lifestyles.

The raised garden beds will feature a variety of fruits and vegetables including green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, okra, chili peppers, squash, parsley and other herbs along with an assortment of citrus trees. Neighborhood volunteers will plant, maintain and harvest the garden.

"Our collaboration partners, especially our Champion Moms, are dedicated to making sure that Diamond District neighborhood residents have increased availability of fruits and vegetables and can get the recommended levels of physical activity they need for a healthier life," said Dajahn Blevins, Coordinator for the African American Campaign at Youth4rce.

"The Forum reinforces the importance of empowering Diamond District residents to be Champions for long-term and sustainable changes that result in their neighborhoods being healthier," added Blevins.

This year's Forum comes on the heels of a recent African American Campaign survey of 1,732 African American adults in California. The respondents - primarily women (87.8 percent) from low-income households (71.8 percent) - were very aware of the potential negative health impacts overweight and obesity can cause. While nearly all (94 percent) agreed that being overweight or obese can cause serious health problems like diabetes, cancer or heart disease, only one-third were eating the daily recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables for good health. Local neighborhood collaborations are working together to seek solutions like community gardens that will increase the availability of fruits and vegetables so that health outcomes improve in low-income African American communities.

According to Blevins, the community collaboration in the past four years has worked together on other projects that focus on the overall health of Diamond District neighborhood residents including a safe pedestrian walkway leading into Market Creek Plaza that residents can use when shopping, and a new walking path adjacent to the Tubman Chavez Multicultural Center to encourage increased physical activity. In addition, healthy eating workshops and cooking demonstrations to support healthy eating will be offered at the culinary kitchen in the newly opened Joe and Vi Jacobs Community Center.

The San Diego area collaboration partners includes The Network for a Healthy California -- San Diego & Imperial Region African American Campaign at Youth4rce Inc., and at the Friendly Church of God In Christ, and the University of California, San Diego, 4th District Councilman Tony Young, the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, Coalition of Neighborhood Councils, Project New Village, Black Infant Health and Lord's Gym.

The Network works with more than 300 different public, non-profit and business partners throughout the state to empower low-income Californians to consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables and enjoy physical activity every day. Principal funding is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Stamp Program, an equal opportunity provider and employer. For more information, visit the Network's Web sites at www.networkforahealthycalifornia.net or www.cachampionsforchange.net.