The Center for Community Learning & Leadership, together with The Health Trust,
is a sponsoring organization for AmeriCorps*VISTA, a national service
program dedicated to eradicating poverty. Eight VISTA members, divided
between the Health Trust and the CCLL, work together on a variety of
ongoing projects related to community health. (Follow this link to
learn more about AmeriCorps*VISTA at the national level.)
The goal of the VISTA program is to provide sustainable programs
and resources to address the health needs of lower-income people in
targeted areas of San Jose. Within this broad framework, VISTA members
have used their year of service to implement such activities as:
Integration of health programs and activities with the City of
San Jose, Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, specifically Five Wounds/Brookwood
Terrace area. VISTAs are helping to facilitate the collaborative
efforts between City programs, The Health Trust, and community learning
courses in order to involve faculty and students in health promotion
and health-related research projects, health education, community
mapping, health surveys, and ethnographic studies, the sum of which
are to serve as a model for other underserved neighborhoods throughout
Santa Clara County.
Open Air Health Fair, held twice a year at the Berryessa
Flea Market, provides cardiovascular disease screenings, health
education, and referrals to community clinics, as well as exercise
demonstrations and children’s activities. More than 400 students
volunteers support this event.
Salud Sundays, a health education program presented as a
part of a weekly summertime Farmer's Market event at Mexican Heritage
Plaza in San Jose. Each Sunday, a different community health organization
presented educational resources, demonstrations, and/or screenings
to promote awareness of health issues in a largely underserved,
immigrant community.
Expansion of the Meals on Wheels volunteer base, outreach
to clients, developing service and resource manuals, fund development,
AmeriCorps service coordination and supervision, scheduling and
holiday route coordination.
Organizing a Women's Health Conference including fundraising,
planning, volunteer recruitment and support; with proceeds benefiting
The Women's Health Fund which awards grants to organizations providing
health-related services to underserved women and girls in Santa
Clara County.
Support for The Health Trust’s School Health Clinics,
Community Wellness and Health Connections programs
Midday sports programs at Linda Vista Elementary School
Note: In collaboration with VISTAs, SJSU AmeriCorps members and community learners
from disciplines such as Health Science, Nursing, Urban and Regional
Planning, Management Information Systems, and Anthropology have further
contributed to the research, planning, and implementation of health
promotion activities benefiting the local community.
