Reach Out – Strengthening California's Inland Empire

Diana shared recently her admiration for an organization called Weave at The Aspen Institute, which supports and invests in local leaders who are working to “weave a new, inclusive social fabric,” ultimately helping mend a divided country. There are a few resources we wanted to share that were fun to explore. The links are in the comments. ✅ Trust Map – Check out the Trust Map: this tool from Weave allows you to locate your exact neighborhood and see how it scores in three critical areas of community trust-building. ✅ Inspiring Stories – Read the Inspiring Stories of Weavers across the country. You can also submit your own. ✅ Weaver Network – Get involved in the Weaver Network helping restore the social fabric by finding volunteer opportunities or registering your own organization on the network. #Weave #CommunityBuilding #SocialFabric

Since the days of lockdown have ended, not everything has returned to normal, and that sense of disconnection has created holes in the lives of so many community members. At Reach Out, we sense that people are longing to feel a sense of belonging - especially in the midst of a contentious election. We’ve seen firsthand that Healthy City Initiatives can provide the connected outlook and social vehicle that residents are looking for, and so many of the stories we hear of those coming out of our leadership academies and action teams show that this kind of involvement can be transformational – not just for the city, but for those who find a role for themselves here. It's also heartening to know that the skills and confidence people gain as they learn about business and economics and leadership in the academy are things they often take and share beyond the classroom. Connection breeds connection. #CommunityConnection #SenseOfBelonging

It goes without saying that trust and community cohesion affect our quality of life. Everyone would prefer to live in a place where they can trust their neighbors. But there are real benefits to building and supporting cohesive communities, as shown in multiple studies. #TrustInCommunity #CommunityCohesion #QualityOfLife

Leadership Academies are a critical part of a healthy city initiative because they mobilize already motivated community members to take action. Through these academies, citizens learn the best ways to effect change and create action within their communities. Effective skills are taught and practiced, and then once citizens graduate, the Healthy Cities Initiative Leadership Academy stays by their side, augmenting their efforts and providing resources as they go. The goal of the academies is to help community members step into their power to effect change. #LeadershipAcademies #HealthyCities #CommunityEngagement

if you live in the Inland Empire, please join us for Dia de los Muertos Jurupa Valley, a free event focused on family and culture. Each year we bring together 3500 residents to commemorate Jurupa Valley's rich history and community culture. The event will be held on October 19 from 12 - 8 PM at Rancho Jurupa Regional Park. Don't miss food, family, performances, and more! We look forward to seeing you there! #DiaDeLosMuertos #JurupaValley #InlandEmpire

When embarking on a Healthy Cities initiative, there is one tip that we would like to offer - maybe the single most important thing to keep in mind. The community is the reason for the initiative you're undertaking, and so they MUST be a part of the effort. Residents must be consulted as experts on their community -- they are the ones who live there! They are the ones who should decide which changes and improvements are needed and how to prioritize those. Leaders working with the community should approach these interactions with cultural humility and be prepared to make any accommodations necessary to ensure that residents are included, heard, and able to offer input. Some of this may seem obvious - we just wanted to offer this signal to remember - there is no healthy city initiative without the people who make up the city! #HealthyCities #CommunityFirst #EngageResidents

The Healthy Cities Institute partners with Inland Empire Cities who are seeking to create a healthy cities initiative to serve their residents. We've gotten a few questions about the benefits of this type of partnership. #HealthyCities #InlandEmpire #CommunityWellness

It is an election year, as we are all reminded now at every turn. While we know that what happens in our nation's capitol is important, we wanted to take a moment to remind you that what happens on the local level is important too. And as residents, we have so much more control over local-level decisions than we might believe. We are driven at Reach Out by the knowledge that real change starts here. It was our NICC tagline this year for a reason. As you watch the rolling tide of Democracy push through the country this November, don't allow yourself to feel disempowered. Because real change? It begins at the local level, and that is power that you have. #LocalElectionsMatter #EmpowerYourCommunity

Dr. Shemineh Davari is a program director at Reach Out who spoke at the recent National Innovative Communities Conference. Dr. Davari reminds us all of the critical importance of training and education of our youth to provide opportunities for them to take the reins as our region expands faster than any other in California. With growth comes both opportunities and challenges, and Dr. Davari points out that now is the time to plan, ahead of the population growth expected for the Inland Empire between now and 2028. This is why the Healthy Cities Institute is so exciting. As opportunities grow in healthcare, cities that are planning ahead will be able to ensure those jobs remain in their communities and have the greatest impact possible. #DrSheminehDavari #NationalInnovativeCommunitiesConference

Working together with the city of Jurupa Valley, we've been able to bring in well over $10M in funding - in part because healthy cities are funding magnets. This money was in direct dollars, not including auxiliary business investments. Seeing significant investment in infrastructure and having a formal vehicle for community health initiatives gives credibility to grantmaking entities. Reach Out and the city managers have used this credibility to partner as they look for funding opportunities. Because Reach Out is a non-profit, a partnership with us opened the door to many grant opportunities the city might not otherwise have been eligible for. #JurupaValley #CommunityHealth #HealthyCities #FundingSuccess