Building Healthy Communities- Action Council

Building Healthy Communities (BHC) is a 10 – year initiative of The California Endowment that cultivates assets in communities to improve health status and equity for all residents. East Salinas is one of the fourteen place-based sites within BHC that is looking at values and practice changes across systems (schools, health care, land use, justice system) and supporting community leadership to redefine health and identify solutions that are relevant to East Salinas. BHC supports the design of communities that are safe, healthy while promoting community wellness and healthy economic opportunities.

East Salinas BHC (ESBHC) Collaborative is supporting local efforts to engage and develop the leadership capacity of community residents and system leaders to make positive changes in their community. ESBHC has a distinguished track record of facilitating community engagement opportunities and incorporating community voice into policies and decisions that impact their lives. The principle driver of this work is a seeing resident as assets, not just recipients of services. ESBHC partners are engaging community based organizing, supporting resident leadership and development, and developing effective community engagement and outreach strategies that are healing-informed, culturally rooted and encompass a health and racial equity lens.

Representatives from partner organizations, resident leaders and BHC staff make up the Action Teams that move the work forward. Working collectively we aim to link systems of power with those who are directly impacted by the power and design solutions to solving root causes that threaten the well being of Salinas residents. There are four main area of work: Education Equity Action Team, Land Use Action Team, Youth Action Team and Healing Informed Practices Team.

Interns will participate in putting on public forums as well as help develop and implement leadership training and development academies for the community with the support of BHC staff and other technical assistance providers. These workshops/academies will concentrate around the areas of health, education and land use.