CalFresh and The L.A. Trust help families keep it fresh during shutdown

The L.A. Trust has expanded its nutrition education to include Facebook Live workshops and healthy online cooking videos.

The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health has moved its CalFresh student and community outreach programs online and to the field to help families eat healthy during the coronavirus shutdown.

The L.A. Trust Nutrition team is holding weekly one-hour workshops on Facebook Live hosted by Program Manager Esther Yepez and Health Educator Lillian Orta:

English-language workshops  Every Thursday at 3 p.m. until July 2
Spanish-language workshops Every Friday at 12 p.m. until July 3

The workshops feature information on healthy food options, pantry cooking and smart shopping. “We know that it can be hard to shop fresh right now,” Yepez said. “We want to demonstrate how to maintain or even improve nutritious eating during this shutdown period.” The L.A. Trust has conducted 12 nutrition workshops and hosted one informational workshop reaching 5,253 people on Facebook so far.

The Spanish-language informational workshop featured guest speaker Betzabel Estudillo of the California Food Policy Advocates and discussed expanded EBT benefits and other COVID-19 resources.

The L.A. Trust has also posted fresh and healthy cooking videos on Vimeo to help families eat fresh and stretch their food dollars, with more coming soon:

French Toast Sticks with Berry Syrup (English and Spanish)
Brussels Sprout Hash & Eggs (English and Spanish)
Mango Chicken Stirfry (English and Spanish)

The L.A. Trust has distributed free grocery bags, gloves, and 900 recipe cards to the Fremont Free Food Fair, a food distribution site The L.A. Trust has supported to address food insecurity over the past several years. The Fremont Free Food Fair is organized by the UMMA Community clinic, Community Health Councils and Food Forward.

Working with CalFresh

Through CalFresh Healthy Living, The L.A. Trust has also purchased more than 2,800 cookbooks to be given away at four food distribution sites: Peace Chapel Church; Macedonia Church in Watts; Community Health Councils; and Girls Club of Los Angeles. These cookbooks will be given away in food bags distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The L.A. Trust is proud to partner with CalFresh Healthy Living to help our students and families eat well and get access to healthy foods,” Program Manager Nina Nguyen said. “There is tremendous interest in healthy eating in our communities, and we are excited to keep this outreach going virtually during the current coronavirus closures.”

CalFresh Healthy Living is the largest nutrition education program in the United States. More than one-third of California residents are eligible for CalFresh Healthy Living, California’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed), which strives to improve the health of eligible Californians through education and healthy community changes. CalFresh Healthy Living offers critical resources for Californians to lead healthier lives and provides opportunities to enjoy more fresh produce.

The L.A. Trust delivers nourishing ideas to LAUSD communities

L.A. Trust Health Educator Lillian Orta shares nutrition ideas and recipes with community members at the Fremont High School Fresh Food Fair. 

On a brilliant November morning, neighborhood residents are lined up near the UMAA Fremont Wellness Center to get into the Free Food Fair at Fremont High in South Los Angeles. The Fair offers pumpkins, mangoes, squash, lettuce and other fresh produce—and nutrition, health and recipe advice from The L.A. Trust’s Program Director Nina Nguyen and Health Educator Lillian Orta.

It’s all part of The L.A. Trust’s school and community outreach on behalf of CalFresh Healthy Living. The state program, formerly known as Champions for Change, is a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) initiative that supports healthy, active and nourished lifestyles by teaching low-income Californians about good nutrition and how to stretch their food dollars, while also “building partnerships in communities to make the healthy choice.”

In the field

The L.A. Trust works with LAUSD and the District’s school-based Wellness Centers to carry the CalFresh Healthy Living message to students and community members both. “It’s really rewarding to be a CalFresh Healthy Living partner,” said Nguyen. “Good health starts with good nutrition, and people really get engaged in our outreach,” she said. “It doesn’t hurt that fresh food looks and tastes so much better than cheap processed food.” 

Since October, Nguyen, Orta and L.A. Trust Program Manager Esther Yepez have travelled across Los Angeles to talk to students and community members about nutrition, physical activity and healthy beverage options (hint: water is better than soda). By March 2020, the team will have conducted 50  classroom sessions and appeared at two community events and two school events at five different sites in the District. They’ve also distributed thousands of brochures and recipe books in Spanish and English.   

“Eating healthy and staying active helps prevent so many long-term health issues—from tooth decay to obesity and diabetes,” Rico said. “In most instances, motivation is not the problem. Getting and preparing fresh food on a budget is the challenge, and we’re proud to partner with CalFresh Healthy Living to support our communities in meeting that challenge.”