City of Berkeley 2014 Annual Report

8/11/2019 City of Berkeley 2014 Annual Report

1/4

n 1924, the City published its first

Annual Report. We were a City of,000 at that time with 40 acres of parks,

acres of playgrounds, and 24 public

ildings including four libraries, threecreation buildings, and one building

the corporation yard. Even then, weere a full service city providing police

d fire protection, garbage pick-up,

ilding inspections, public health servicesd recreation opportunities in parks,

aygrounds and camps. The Playgroundperintendent in 1924 reported his efforts

instill in boys and girlsthe attitude ofe sportsman for whom sports contain their

wn reward by placing an emphasis onegular attendance, participation andr play, rather than upon winning at any

st. That year the Public Health Nursesorganized into seven service areas,

emphasize creating a healthy place

a healthy life for everyone who liveworks here. Nearly a century after oAnnual Report, we focus this report o

we are doing in that work, both in tional places like clinics and schools

less traditional places like playgrand barbershops. We work to devel

lationships and partnerships to co

City programs with the people they to support healthy choices and th

neighborhoods. A number of servichighlighted in the pages that follow.

know how we are doing in 2014.

Sincerely,

Christine Daniel

City [email protected]

THEN...

BUILDING A HEALTHY BERKELEY

Public Health nurses in 1924 standing nextto their cars in front of old City Hall

each under the supervision of a graduate

public health nurse in collaboration withthe University, in order to improve service byeliminating numerous visits to each home

by several different nurses. The HealthDepartment was also greatly involved in the

1924 outbreak of Foot and Mouth Diseasewhich threatened the local dairy industry.

Ninety years later, as a community of112,000, we continue the tradition of pub-

lishing an annual report, and we continuethe tradition of supporting community mem-

bers to make healthy choices throughouttheir lives. These include organized activities

in our 52 parks and playgrounds that span248 acres, as well as a variety of health andmental health services for everyone from

babies to teens to seniors. Berkeleys historyis filled with programs and services that

...NOW

Public Health nurses in 2014 in front othe current City Ha


2/4

aying the foundation for a healthylife starts at birth and before. City

of Berkeley services start at the earli-est stages of life. Public Health Nurses

can visit every newborn in Berkeley.They assess and encourage prena-

tal nutrition, monitor newborn weightgain, facilitate breastfeeding success,evaluate family food security, and link

families to the necessary resources.

For low-income women who are pregnant or in their first year of motherhood, theWomen, Infants and Children (WIC)program helps the City provide supplemental

foods, health care-referrals, and nutrition information. That support for children lastsuntil age five for those at nutritional risk. Berkeley provides WIC services to 1,200 peo-ple. In summer, additional WIC vouchers can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at

local farmers markets.

The results are powerful. Nationally, women who participated in WIC during preg-nancy have been found to have lower Medicaid costs for themselves and their ba-

bies than did women who did not participate. WIC participation has also been linkedwith longer gestation periods, higher birthweights and lower infant mortality.

For more information, see: cityofberkeley.info/WIC

INFANTS & MOTHERS

L

hen a child acts out, it may often bat school. Issues involving emotion

or mental health can result in absenteeismsubstance abuse and delayed learning

not to mention disrupted classes that affestudents as a whole.

The City and the Berkeley Unified School D

trict jointly provide mental health servicin a number of schools. Twelve percent Berkeley Unified high school students hav

sought mental health services, with the larest group being ninth graders. Students r

ceive individual and group therapy, paretal counseling, consultations with teache

and classroom observations. They also careceive referrals for housing, medical or oter resources for issues that may be affectin

their lives.

See: cityofberkeley.info/mentalhealth

SCHOOLCHILDREN

Wmidst a jumble of wooden structures, gar-den plots, and sand piles in a corner of the

Berkeley Marina, kids who are mostly between5- and 12-years-old explore and construct new

worlds. They use nails, saws and other tools toassemble towers, ramps and wooden forts.

They have re-purposed an old sailboat as acanvas for painting. They build birdhouses from

scratch.

Exploration at Adventure Playgroundhappens

under the watchful eye of staff. Children buildimpromptu communities, collaborate on proj-

ects or whiz down the zipline. Many materialsare donated by contractors including tables,

chairs, shelves, tires, slides and pianos andare then reused over and over again in imagi-native and creative ways.

See: cityofberkeley.info/adventureplayground

KIDS & FAMILIES

A

reparing toddlers for sc

by using role playing and er forms of play enables them

work on communication, netiation, problem solving and regulation. This is the focus of

Recreation Divisions Pre-K Po

Play program. The Tots AroTown program is for 2- to 4-yolds and is often their first ex

ence with a classroom settingprogram includes singing, art group projects.

Fostering kindergarten readi

is a key part of the City of Beleys 20/20 Vision plan to elimin

the achievement gap by the 2020.

See: cityofberkeley.info/actiguide

TODDLERS &

PRE-K

P


3/4

dult sports brings people togetherfrom across the City in leagues for

basketball, volleyball, tennis and box-ing, as well as the thousands of adults

per year who participate in swimmingprograms. Many come for fitness, ca-

maraderie or competition. BerkeleyAquatics Masters swimmers have been

competing for 30 years in local and na-tional meets.

1,500 people played in the Citys soft-ball leagues last year! Teachers, doc-

tors, gardeners, businesspeople andstudents are among them; one team

has signed up 25 years in a row. Anotherteam boasts three generations of onefamily.

See: cityofberkeley.info/activity_guide

ADULTS

A

tudents participating in Afterschool Achievers play math

games with UC Berkeley students. Theyve learned Africandance and created music videos. Programs cultivate team-

work and leadership. Over the past year, youth have workedon a dozen different projects, ranging from shoreline cleanup

and feeding homeless people to organizing recycling drives.

In addition, the TeenAdventureTrips program

takes Berkeley youth tothe High Sierras to ex-perience the outdoors.

Up to 60 teens at a timehave gone camping orriver-rafting in the Sierras,

with the goal of buildinga life-long appreciation

for the natural world.

For both programs, see:cityofberkeley.info/activity_guide

TEENS

She Citys Youthworksprogram provides opport

for youth from age 14 to 25 for year-round emment in various City departments, as well as organizlike the YMCA and the Center for Independent

Each participant receives training and instruction reing important workplace skills that will serve them a

grow and develop into adulthood. Last year, almoyouth were employed through this program.

See: cityofberkeley.info/youthworks

Berkeley Mental Health (BMH) supervises and trains 20 college and graduate students every year to wo

adults, children, youth and families. BMH is a regirecognized training ground for mental health servic

viders. The Berkeley model emphasizes engagemthe community as opposed to treatment in clinics o

pital settings. Scores of participants now provide sein cities throughout the area.

See adult internships at:cityofberkeley.info/mentalhealth

YOUNG ADULTS

T

erkeleys seniors take part in classes, trips, celebrations and special eve

Berkeley Senior Centers. The City offers more than a thousand classes orshops each year on topics that include Zumba, Tai Chi, conversational Sp

tap dancing, philosophy, and opera. Last year, seniors attended over 100 sevents and day trips to Safari West, the Gilroy Garlic Festival and the LegHonor, among many others.

The North and South Berkeley senior centers served 36,000 hot lunches in

and City staff and volunteers visited homes 39,000 times to deliver meals to hbound seniors. Case Managers also completed over 480 home visits, provid

lifeline to those who cannot get outside easily.

Most of the 140 volunteers who help

Aging Services are seniors themselves.They answer phones, pack and deliv-

er meals, teach classes and provide asupportive community in our thriving

senior centers. They contributed over16,000 hours of volunteer work to Ag-

ing Services programs.

See: cityofberkeley.info/aging

SENIO

B


4/4

The Breathmobile that visits three Berkeley schools has do

nurses and respiratory therapists who help students treat andage their asthma. The result has been better health and su

tially reduced absenteeism. At Malcolm X elementary andpreschool, children with asthma had 7 hospitalizations, 22 gency room visits or 34 missed school days before the Brea

bile came by. Last year, there was one missed school day anER visit.

Public Health staff and interns also assessed the marketing

availability of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods in 83 stBerkeley. Staff worked with businesses on the placement, sele

and display of healthier food options. In some stores, its eaget fresh broccoli now located by the cash register.

As housing deteriorates over time, some seniors and the dis

no longer have the means to fix their homes, threateninghealth by unsafe or unhealthy living conditions. In calenda

2013, the City and its community partners helped rehabilitatunits for residents.

See: cityofberkeley.info/PublicHealth

HEALTHY CHOICES, A HEALTHY COMMUNITY

City Managers Office2180 Milvia Street

Berkeley, CA 94704

Postal Customer

n a healthy community, altering the environment in simple ways

can prevent the need for serious medical interventions later.

a barbershop in South Berkeley more than 250 customers haveme for haircuts and gotten their blood pressure checked by

ined staff. At these monthly events, City staff answer questionsd provide referrals to free hypertension clinics.

ST-CO

NSUMER

WA

STE

ORINE-FREE

PAPER

..

.

.

PRI

NTED

WITH

VEGETABLE-B

ASED

INKS

.

..

.

City of Berkeley 2014 Annual Report

Documents

Transcript of City of Berkeley 2014 Annual Report