SAN BERNARDINO PARTNERSHIPS BENEFIT URBAN FAMILIES.

The 1990's were tough on local parks and recreation agencies in California. The lingering impact of Proposition 13, the Jarvis-Gann Initiative, the economic downturn, and the redistribution of property taxes by the state were touching down on cities, counties, and special districts throughout the state and wiping out services in some areas and whole departments in other areas. Public agencies lost an average of seventeen percent of their operating budgets during the decade. The City of San Bernardino, California lost 24 percent.

The losses in San Bernardino could have been catastrophic. As it was, hours were cut at community centers, summer and after school playgrounds, and swimming pools. Several facilities were handed over to other public entities or community based organizations. And a number of services disappeared entirely--such as the department's bus to transport children to youth sports programs, trips and tours for families and seniors, summer concerts in the park, and a whole list of special events.

While the funds and resources were diminishing, the need for services was not -- particularly those essential services for urban families. Economic hardships were touching down in the lives of these families as well. In the mid-nineties, the number of individuals in San Bernardino on some type of public assistance reached forty-six percent. Seventy-seven percent of the children in the San Bernardino City Unified School District were on free or reduced lunch because their family incomes were near or below the federal poverty level.

However, urban families were not abandoned during these disastrous times. Thanks to a wide array of partnerships, the city's Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department was able to develop and provide services that more directly addressed individual and family needs.

One of the earliest partnerships developed because of the need for mentoring at-risk youth. The department established a mentoring program in 1992 and eventually expanded it to five schools. In 1995, a faith-based coalition called Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC) approached then Mayor Tom Minor about establishing a youth agenda--their top priority was a mentoring program at the city middle schools. ICUC helped forge a partnership between the city and the school district to cover the costs of a full-time coordinator in the Parks and Recreation Department. Over the years ICUC continues to be an on-going resource for mentor volunteers.

On the Hunt for Grants

While the city-schools partnership continues today, the funding has not. In order to sustain the new coordinator position and the program, the department went on the hunt for grants. Fortunately, a potential grant source found us. The San Bernardino County Health Department invited us to sit in on a collaboration to develop a grant to reduce teen pregnancy in San Bernardino. The approach would be a unique one -- to engage youth, particularly siblings of parenting or pregnant teens in mentoring and recreational services, to develop a change in knowledge and attitudes that could prevent teen pregnancies. The partnership included the Arts Council of San Bernardino County, Loma Linda University, Department of Public Health, the YWCA, as well as our mentoring program and our community centers. In addition to being assigned a mentor to serve as a friend and role model for the targeted youth, they and their families were drawn into the department's programs at the community centers. Attitudes and the lives of these adolescents would be changed because of the sustained involvement with department services. The department and the Arts Council conducted special events for the youth while the parents were involved in a parent education activity.

The mentoring program maintains an active roster of 70 mentor matches. Since its inception, over 500 youth have had a mentor. Many of the matches have been sustained beyond the one-year obligation. For example, Cynthia Siples has been mentoring Stanley, age 12, and his brother since 1998. The boys' mother is a single parent. Stanley was referred to the program because he was doing poorly in school. His grades were bad and he was getting into fights and indulging in other delinquent behavior. Cynthia and her husband have no children of their own. She initially devoted her time helping Stanley but because his brother Benzell, age 9, often felt left out, she began spending time with him as well. She also spends time working on their social skills and anger problems. Both boys have improved academically as well as socially. Stanley is now 14 and just entered high school. Benzell has started middle school. Cynthia's husband, Rick, has also been involved, providing a positive male role model. Stanley and Benzell are examples of the results of successful partnerships.

The partnerships did not end with the mentoring program. In 1995 the city applied for designation as a California Healthy City through the State Department of Health Services. This designation made the city a target for a variety of health-related grants. One health related area would bring the Parks and Recreation Department into a whole new arena of services.

Cardiovascular disease is a major problem in San Bernardino. San Bernardino County leads the state in deaths and illnesses related to heart disease. The City of San Bernardino ranked thirteenth in the state in heart disease among cities with populations over 100,000. Due to the seriousness of this problem and the fact that people were unaware of the fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death among Californians, the department was invited to apply for a grant from the Cardiovascular Disease Outreach resources & Epidemiology Program (CORE), a division of the state department of health.

Joining the Team

This grant would bring the department into a partnership with Loma Linda University Medical Center, CORE, and the County health department. Eventually, three other not-for-profit hospitals would join the team. LLUMC provided the initial $30,000 match for the CORE grant that would undertake conducting an educational campaign and interventions to increase access to healthy food and increase physical activity targeting the adult populations residing near the city's community centers. These residents are predominantly low-income African-American and Hispanic families--a population that has been identified to be at greater risk of heart disease.

Certified aerobics instructors from Loma Linda University were brought on board to conduct low-impact aerobic exercise classes at the community centers. Nutrition tips were provided on a weekly basis. Eventually, students from these classes were selected and trained to take them over. These "peer instructors" would have a greater rapport with neighborhood residents and would be more effective in recruiting new students and encouraging changes in eating habits. Over two hundred individuals have participated in these programs and a number are involved today even though the grant ended last July.

Additionally, over 70,000 residents have had some type of exposure to the issues of cardiovascular disease as well as to the programs and services provided at the community centers through the media campaigns which include bus posters, and announcements in church bulletins and on the city water bill.

California Healthy Cities and Communities was also a funding source that helped establish a third partnership to address the issue of food security for under-served residents. This is a major problem for our urban families. Since 1999, 18 grocery stores within the city have closed. Only 15 full-service markets currently serve a population of 185,000.

Garden Collaborative Created

As a way to address this problem, the department decided to create the "San Bernardino Garden Collaborative." The Garden Collaborative would have three primary goals. The collaborative would construct and initiate a gardening program at three elementary schools that would help increase the number of children that are engaged in home gardening or communal gardening. The collaborative would provide nutrition and food production education programs to community members to encourage and increase healthy eating habits. Lastly, the collaborative would create a Food Policy Council that would develop and recommend policies promoting food security to the city council.

The target area for these programs would be well served. The average per capita income for residents in the target area is between $6,551 and $10,529 annually. Over 90 percent of the students at the elementary schools qualify for the free lunch program. Seventy-eight percent of the population is Hispanic, 11 percent Afro-American, and 9 percent Caucasian.

The partners in this endeavor brought a unique array of skills and resources to the table. The City's Public Services Department had a strong background in developing backyard gardens. They were skilled in teaching composting techniques and had the necessary materials to develop composters. The selected schools from the City of San Bernardino Unified School District were already involved with a state grant-funded after-school program. They saw the community garden as a neighborhood asset and were willing to set aside precious playground space for the garden. San Bernardino County Health brought a wealth of experience in nutrition education as well as educational materials in both Spanish and English. They would furnish bilingual instructors to conduct nutrition education programs during the city's ESL classes at the community centers. The University of California at Riverside Extension provided a Master Gardener to provide curriculum for the after-school gardening clubs as well as providing direct instruction to the children and recreation staff on gardening techniques.

Even though the grant has ended, the outcomes have been successful and are sustained through the partnerships. Over 60 residents learned about health and nutrition and how to substitute low-fat ingredients in popular ethnic dishes. Fresh fruits and vegetables are flourishing at the school gardens where over 270 children continue to learn and practice gardening techniques. The Food Policy Council is up and running and not only addressing policy issues but also exploring ways to expand on the successes that have been achieved.

San Bernardino has indeed weathered a stormy decade. The Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department recognized how local, regional, and statewide partners could form the rescue teams to help provide badly needed services during difficult times. Its willingness to be adaptable and flexible has altered the nature of its services to the advantage of its urban families where traditional recreation services have given way to role-modeling for at-risk youth, emphasis on community values, good eating habits, and healthy life styles.

John A. Kramer has been the Superintendent of Recreation for the City of San Bernardino since 1981. He has a BA from San Diego State Iniversity in Recreation Administration and a BA in English from the University of California at Riverside. In 1992, Kramer conceived and developed the San Bernardino Mentoring Program, which recruits caring adults to work one-on-one with at-risk-children. See how the influence of outside partners can save parks and recreation departments in "San Bernardino Partnerships Benefit Urban Families" on page 68.