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School Garden Club Awarded Grant to Continue Planting Good Seeds

By Gloria Angelina Castillo, EGP Staff Writer


The Bell Gardens Intermediate Environmental Garden Club will have regular farmers markets, thanks to the generosity of the Campaign for a Healthier Bell Gardens (CHBG), a non-profit health initiative aimed at reducing diabetes and teen pregnancy in the city.

A $14,000 grant will fund elementary school gardening outreach and allow for permanent housing of monthly farmers markets at the campus until June 2010, according to Lani Cupchoy, BGI Environmental Garden Club consultant.

Members of the Bell Gardens Intermediate Environmental Garden Club show off their spicy harvest—a variety of organic chilies—available at their upcoming Farmer’s Market. (Photo by BGI Environmental Gardening Club)

Members of the Bell Gardens Intermediate Environmental Garden Club show off their spicy harvest—a variety of organic chilies—available at their upcoming Farmer’s Market. (Photo by BGI Environmental Gardening Club)

Co-advisor John Garza said the grant now allowed them to focus on working with the kids, “not on raising money,” because coordinating carwashes and fundraisers can be time consuming.

Besides Farmers Markets and outreach to elementary students, the grant will help environmental club members by exposing them to science through field trips and nutritional classes, as well as helping them acquire business experience through running the farmers market, Garza said.

“We will always offer fresh and organic fruits and veggies at a lower cost than the local supermarket, [and] specialty items such as diabetic friendly preserves and baked goods, plants and craft items like potpourri and essential oils,” Eva Cupchoy, club co-advisor, told EGP. “We will also feature new local artists, musicians, and dance performances celebrating Latinidad at every event.”

The student-run farmer’s markets aim to increase healthy food choices and promote health advocacy.
According to John Kotick, CEO of Campaign for a Healthier Bell Gardens, the grant will also provide funding for some equipment and consulting services to support the project.

Kotick says the Healthier Bell Gardens campaign was created in 2008 through the Community Clinic Initiative, a joint project between the Tides Foundation and the California Endowment. Following dialogues with local stakeholders, it was decided they would fund programs to prevent teen pregnancy and diabetes as two significant health issues in the city, said Kotick.

“Our concept was to create a collaboration to work on these issues in Bell Gardens and through mini-grants to be able to stimulate activity on the issues,” Kotick told EGP in an email statement. He said the grants are meant to make local community health centers the catalysts for health care change in the region.

The group includes parents, teachers, MUSD staff, County Department of Public Health Staff, the Bell Gardens Chamber of Commerce, two community health centers and community-based organizations.
BGI’s Environmental Gardening Club is one of five projects being funded through the campaign.

“The club was awarded the grant because of their track record in gardening and farmers markets and to support the expansion of their program’s reach into the community. They were also funded because of their vision and passion for their project,” Kotick said.

The BGI club helps the campaign’s mission to reduce diabetes by modifying community knowledge about healthy food choices and healthy eating, he said.

Bell Gardens High School is also receiving grant funding to establish an on-campus garden and an educational production on teen pregnancy by the school drama club.

The next Environmental Garden Club Farmers Market is Dec. 12  from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition to organic produce and products, informational booths and free services will be provided by:

—Bell Gardens High School Culinary Career Pathway (CCP)

—Diabetes/Obesity/Ten Pregnancy by Campaign for a Healthier Bell Gardens

—Family Heath Care Centers of Greater Los Angeles Inc.-Bell Gardens Family Medical Center (FHCCGLA) will offer free glucose screenings

—South Los Angles Heath Projects-Women Infant and Children(SLAHP-WIC)

—Live music by DJ Andres Hortua

—Featured local artist: Diana Rodriguez

Other sponsors include: Bell Gardens High School Culinary Career Pathway (CCP) and Cal Poly Pomona University Farm Store.

The Farmers Market will be located in the Adult Education parking lot on Florence Avenue, behind the school located at 5841 Live Oak St., Bell Gardens.

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Posted by admin · Filed Under Bell Gardens, Featured News 

December 3, 2009  Copyright © 2010 Eastern Group Publications, Inc.

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