Addressing Environmental Issues For A Healthier Community

A view of the Salton Sea.

Located in the southeast corner of California, Imperial County provides much of the produce that feeds the United States. Bordered by Arizona and Mexico, this area is home to a diverse and multi-ethnic population. But behind the diversity lies a high unemployment rate, the highest of any County in the US.

With a number of residents living with disadvantages, an organization came into being in 1981 to help those living in the area to access the services they needed to improve their lives. Such things as health services, community service programs, environmental justice, civic participation, advocacy, capacity building, and even research. That organization is Comite Civico Del Valle, Inc. (CCDV).



A large part of CCDV's programming involves environmental justice, which is intertwined with healthier living. The work in this area is so pioneering that CCDV has the largest air quality monitoring network in this country. In fact, that is what brought the notice of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which formed a partnership with CCDV.

Humberto Lugo, CCDV's Policy Advocate, stated, "They wanted to find a way to support us and how we can expand the monitoring or include more monitoring because of this crisis we have at hand." The area of which Mr. Lugo speaks is the Salton Sea, which is receiving less inflow, causing a higher concentration of salt in the water, and then drying the sea bed. With a higher salt concentration, the Salton Sea becomes less of a resource for drinking water, not just for humans, but also for local wildlife.

For CCDV, working with the DiCaprio Foundation will provide needed funds, including $100,000 of the $20 million grant going to expand their air monitoring program. Mr. DiCaprio explained his involvement, "This utter lack of leadership by officials who choose first to preserve their short term political power rather than insuring the livable future on our planet means that we must all do more now than any other time in human history."

Air monitoring equipment used near the Salton Sea.

Mr. Lugo added, "It's important for people to know the issues of the Salton Sea, because this is not just a localized issue, this is going to affect most of southern California if this continues receding so rapidly the way it's going because of these wind borne events." With the passage of AB 1617 by the California assembly, the planned expansion of the air monitoring network would bring the area into compliance with the law's requirement of air monitoring systems in high pollution areas.

Mr. Lugo issued a reminder that air quality and the drying of the Salton Sea are climate change issues; that's what is driving so much evaporation of the sea and affecting air quality.

Best asthma management practices discussed in CCDV's Asthma Academy.

Thanks for information from this Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/comitecivicodelvalle/about/?ref=page_internal; this article television station KSWT: http://www.kyma.com/news/local-organization-partners-with-the-leonardo-dicaprio-foundation/624527768; and this page from Salton Sea COEE: https://www.saltonseacoee.org/

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Support For People With Intellectual Challenges; Peace Of Mind For Families

Some of Penn-Mar's clients volunteered with the pets at Pet Valu.

Those who have developmental disabilities have a much brighter world available to them than existed in this country some sixty to seventy years ago. There is the opportunity to stretch to the fullest of their capabilities and to participate in the mainstream, with the help of supporting others. One organization that plays a large role in the lives of more than 350 individuals each year is PENN-MAR, with a footprint in both Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Penn-Mar came into existence in the 1980s, a product of the efforts of a group of parents with children who had developmental disabilities, and who were worried about those children's future. Penn-Mar, over the years has provided the support and a network beyond the family, widening the horizons of the people it serves and offering security for the day when families can no longer provide direct support themselves.



As many of these nonprofit organizations do, Penn-Mar has those who work directly with its clients, known as Direct Support Personnel (DSP). Let's take a look at one of these employees. Steve Nyabuti came to the US from Kenya, with his family, about seven years ago, and has worked at Penn-Mar for five years. This 28-year-old young man had just started college when he found out about Penn-Mar and applied for a job. He now works to support four men living at a residence in White Hall.

Sometimes, when you have a direct service position, like Steve has, you can wonder who is learning more, you or the people you serve. For, Steve, indeed, has learned more about himself and become more mature. Patience definitely is a trait that he has developed, since it can be hard to understand what some of the men are trying to communicate, so it's a process of repetition and listening a little harder and more closely, until understanding is reached.

Steve said, "It's been a great experience. Working with John, Chris, Evan, and Richard has given me an opportunity to grow as a person. My life in Kenya was very different. When I look at the 22-year-old that I was, I don't see the same person I am today. I've learned a lot from them."

Steve Nyabuti works with one of his residents.

Like many others who work as DSPs, Steve does struggle to make ends meet. Many of those who do this type of wonderful work don't receive that much more than minimum wage. That makes it a struggle for him and his co-workers to pay rent, much less afford college. So, Steve does increase his work hours when he can. And, that degree he's started in actuarial science? He'll be completing it, come this spring.

Time for harvesting fall flowers at One Straw Farm.

Thanks for information from this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/pennmar/about/?ref=page_internal and this blog article: http://www.penn-mar.org/2017/09/a-life-changing-experience/.

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Special Needs Children In A Subsistence Community

Help can come with such basics as additional nutrition. 

In some developing nations of Africa, subsistence living can barely sustain adults and children. But when one person in the family has special needs, society misses even recognizing those needs, much less being able to meet them.

Back in 2012, four parents of special needs children, plus Claudia Patka, a student volunteer, got together and formed CHILD DESTINY FOUNDATION, a nonprofit organization that would provide the missing infrastructure and facilities needed by special needs individuals, mainly in Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. The idea was to provide a package of services to provide such necessary services as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, community support, and parental support and empowerment.



Alex Omondi, one of the founding parents, explains, "Due to high level of unemployment and underemployment, poverty rules these 'ghettoes', and the devastating effects are obviously evident in the living conditions of inhabitants. Here, many people struggle to meet their basic human needs, but worse off are the children with special needs and their families. They cannot afford the special attention that their children deserve."

All of the services, from physical therapy to speech therapy, and occupational therapy are provided at no cost to the families. The foundation also provides parent support groups, where families can share their experiences and feelings.

Mr. Omondi added, "This project is committed to provide free access to therapy and rehabilitation services to children with special needs, but we hope it will be a launch pad of a bigger multidimensional initiative to address the various complex challenges affecting people with special needs."

No longer alone, families are receiving the critical assistance for special needs children that they require.

Since its founding The Child Destiny Foundation has added programs, including home and community care support to help with activities of daily living, campaigns to raise awareness and provide advocacy, primary care for contagious illnesses and other communicable diseases, and programs to address HIV prevention and care. There are also programs to develop peer educators and address maternal child health needs. It's a program that keeps growing to meet the needs and it has developed a relationship with The Child Destiny Foundation in Austria, which has given them a greater supply of shared resources.

It doesn't always have to be serious; fun can be shared with other members of the community.

Thanks for information from this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/alex-omondi-child-destiny-foundation-village-clinic/; this page from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Child-Destiny-Foundation-173606562835169/about/?ref=page_internal; and this page from Child Destiny Foundation: http://www.childdestinyfoundation.org/projects-and-programs.html.

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Bringing Fresh Produce To The Detroit African-American Community

Children take a hayride with staff at DBCFSN's 2-acre farm.

Bright spots can be found in just about any community, even those that have received a lot of bad press. The same is true of Detroit, where the city population has continued to decline, leaving vacant and decaying homes. It's an organization that has been bringing self-reliance, food security, and food justice to the black community.

Established in 2006, the DETROIT BLACK COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY NETWORK (DBCFSN) has been bringing opportunities for African-Americans in Detroit to participate in the food movement. Through its programs, this organization has been reducing the number of areas in which people have no access to fresh, healthy, nutritional, and culturally appropriate foods/produce. From planting gardens to developing a mini-farm, and adding a two-acre farm in a public park, the organization showcases a variety of ways to grow fruits and vegetables, in a sustainable manner, completely chemical-free.



But that's not all. Adults and children have access to educational programs run by DBCFSN. The Food Warriors program works with three city schools to provide hands-on education about various aspects of the food system. A lecture series geared to adults provides them with information about the various issues involved with the food system.

Still in the process of development is a food co-op, designed primarily to be accessed by members of the African-American community with low to moderate incomes, rather than being placed in an affluent section of the city. Like other food co-ops, it would be cooperatively owned by members of the community, who also elect nine of the board members. When it is completed, it is expected to employ twenty people.

Members of the community tour D-Town Farm.

The food co-op is to be part of a larger complex, the Detroit Food Commons, which is also being developed by DBCFSN. Included in the complex will be a kitchen incubator, which is to provide food entrepreneurs with a licensed facility and equipment for preparing food and selling it to the public. Additional features include a healthy foods cafe and a venue for meetings, lectures, films, performances, and other types of events. Grants, loans, and memberships in the co-op are expected to fund these endeavors.

Malik Yakini, one of the co-founders, at a garden site.

Thanks for information from this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/D-TownFarm-452559591479594/about/?ref=page_internal; this page on DBCFSN: https://detroitblackfoodsecurity.org/educational-youth-programs/; this page on DBCFSN: https://detroitblackfoodsecurity.org/about-us/; and the above link.

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Bringing Hope And Services To Cherry Hill

Some of those who participated in the Prayer Walk.

Frequently, when the names of US cities are uttered, the thought can come of a vibrant and teeming city full of activities and interesting people. But when the names of some cities are mentioned, there is also the thought of urban ills, of neighborhoods deteriorating, of high numbers of killings, of addictions run rampant, of children losing hope. Visions of our cities are not just either/or, but a mixture of those views of the extremes. Such is true of the City of Baltimore.

However, let's not look at what the City is; let's look at a relatively young organization in Baltimore. Started in 2011, under the inspiration of Michael Battle Jr., RESTORING INNER CITY HOPE (RICH) was built to empower, love, and inspire, the children and families of this wonderful City of ours.



Mr. Battle is no stranger to the problems which Baltimore faces, having grown up in one of its most difficult neighborhoods, Cherry Hill. While he is aware of the difficulties and struggles that a child growing up in Baltimore faces, he also made it past those barriers through his religious beliefs, his inner strength, and dedication to transforming his community. Indeed, RICH does focus on the Cherry Hill neighborhood, starting with the first Cherry Hill Prayer Walk back in 2011. As a result of RICH working in the community, homicides and shootings have dropped in this neighborhood.

As a matter of fact, this year's Prayer Walk was held on August 12, as a combination of festival, prayer and contemplation event, health screening, and return to school support. Those who attended could find such activities as a prayer tent, podiatry exams, diabetes screening, blood pressure screening, a variety of food vendors, a moonbounce, face painting, pony rides, an appearance by the Orioles bird, Ravens players attending, various giveaways, school supplies and backpacks, even grief counseling and record expungement. This one event had a variety of services needed by the residents of the neighborhood all in one place.

The previous evening, on August 11, RICH held a pool party, the second of the summer, at the neighborhood Splash Park, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Children age 11 and under had to have chaperones with them. A DJ and free food was also provided and participants were not told what notable guests would be there. Events/activities like this bring a neighborhood together in a fun activity, lessening the animosity among people who know each other in friendship and fun.

Michael Battle Jr. (in front), with the Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders in a Baltimore City Police helicopter.

Even with all of the struggles in Baltimore, those who are benefiting and participating in RICH, brought donations to City Garage this past week, enough to fill tractor trailers, which are on their way to provide relief to those who suffered the trials of Hurricane Harvey. And they did it with prayerfulness and generosity, sending the Blessing Truck to those less fortunate in Houston.

Another event earlier in the year to provide haircuts and hairstyling to help youth look and feel better.

Thanks for information from this page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/therichprogram/about/?ref=page_internal; this article on RICH: http://www.therichprogram.org/new-page/; this post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therichprogram/photos/a.1889051421343999.1073741829.1730443490538127/1891301777785630/?type=3&theater; this post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therichprogram/photos/a.1889051421343999.1073741829.1730443490538127/1891817884400686/?type=3&theater; this post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therichprogram/photos/a.1889051421343999.1073741829.1730443490538127/1899975566918251/?type=3&theater; and the above link.

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The Pathway Toward Healthier African-American Women

Some of the women in the program engaged in physical activity together.

It took a lifetime of observing the women in her community to realize that there was a life pattern. For Cynthia James had observed just how many African-American women lived through a cycle of abuse, obesity, poor health, and low self esteem, all leading to poor life outcomes. The question became how to overcome that struggle.



Along with Beth Oden, Ms. James developed the answer in THE EXTRAORDINARY LIVING PROJECT. Starting in Denver, a group of women were chosen to participate in a ten-week intensive course, which included fitness, nutrition, cooking and emotional healing instruction, followed by personal coaching to help maintain their progress.

The participants were divided into groups of twelve and utilized the well-recognized "Freedom Circle" approach of instruction by both a nationally recognized fitness coach, along with a certified nutritionist. Ms. James, along with a Freedom Coach, helped the women work through their emotional barriers. Through this multi-faceted approach, the idea was to empower women to help themselves, their families, and their communities. And Denver was planned as just the start.

These women participants are becoming empowered to help themselves and their families.

Ms. James explained, "We aim to put Extraordinary Living Projects in every major city in America and help African-American women free their untapped potential, and live healthier, longer, more enriched lives."

Since 2014, The Extraordinary Living Project has been a part of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI). Since CHMI actively works to reduce disparities in health care, this project was a natural choice because of its focus on urban African-American women. After the original 12 women completed the program, a second group of 12 women has also completed it. Eventually, the plan is for the program to serve 300 African-American women from the Greater Denver area.

One of the major reasons why it has been so important to develop holistic programs for African-American women.

Thanks for information from this article on Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/cynthia-james-the-extraordinary-living-project/; this article from Extraordinary Living Project: http://extraordinarylivingproject.org/chmi-commitment/; and the above link.

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Practical Science From the American Geophysical Union

The snowcatcher that helps scientist measure the amount of carbon absorbed by the oceans.

Have you ever heard of the AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION (AGU)?  Formed in 1919 from the union of two committees, the AGU, provides a scientific focus on the processes that affect everyday life. A nonprofit, despite having "American" in its name, the organization is international, with over 60,000 members from 137 countries.

Here's one of the areas that members of the AGU are tracking - the seasonal drought assessment, covering the US. When the assessment was released on July 20, it was noted that drought coverage area in the Great Plains and the Southwest had increased along with intensity. Particularly affected are eastern Montana and the Dakotas, worsened by "periods of intense heat, windy conditions, and low humidity". In addition, the same occurred in the southwest of Alaska and the largest Hawaiian island.



Members of the AGU with expertise in droughts, have been made available to explain the science of droughts and their impact during this season. Amir AghaKouchak, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC, Irvine, who is a researcher in natural hazards and environmental extremes; Julio Betancourt, Senior Scientist at the US Geological Survey, who specializes in the effect of climate variability on physical and biological systems; Benjamin Cook, a climate scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, with a focus on drought and hydroclimate; Noah Diffenbaugh, Professor and Senior Fellow at Stanford University, who researches the dynamics and impact of climate variability and change, especially extreme weather; Andreas Prein, an atmospheric scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, with expertise in drought and flood research; and Roger Pulwarty, a senior scientist at NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, who focuses on climate and risk management in the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean; can provide the background information needed to explain current conditions and what the risk involves in the near future.

While a majority of the US was caught up in the excitement of a solar eclipse, visible in many parts of the country, another group of scientists took a look back to October 19, 2014, when a group of satellites was tracking the close proximity of Comet Siding Spring with the Planet Mars. However, adding to the complexity of their analysis was a major solar eruption just a few days previously.

Both the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA had devoted 10 space satellites to monitoring the comet, when the coronal mass ejection (CME) occurred on Oct. 14. NASA's satellite STEREO-A was in position to photograph the side of the sun opposite to Earth, when it captured the eruption. Three Mars orbiters, along with NASA's Curiosity Rover, on the ground, were all in the right position to detect the eruption passing by.

The seasonal drought map for the US.

Even NASA's New Horizons, nearing Pluto, and Voyager-2, at the outer edge of the solar system, could detect hints of the eruption. However, they were unable to differentiate between background solar wind and the eruption. Some of the information recovered from the eruption is just now beginning to see publication.

Cosmic ray intensity before, during, and after the CME.

Thanks for information from this article from AGU: http://about.agu.org/our-history/; this article from AGU: http://news.agu.org/press-release/american-geophysical-union-experts-available-to-comment-on-science-of-drought/; this article from AGU: http://news.agu.org/press-release/tracking-a-solar-eruption-through-the-solar-system/; and the above link.

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