Listening session on health
EDITOR: Sebastopol and west Sonoma County has a new Health Action Chapter as of spring of 2016. Health Action is the countywide program that has the vision of making Sonoma County a healthy place for all residents to live, work and belong.
Health Action was started in 2007 as a transformational community action program to engage all residents in planning and creating the future for our county. Much of the specific work of Health Action takes place in the local Health Action chapters. There are nine local Health Action chapters in Sonoma County.
The other west county Health Action chapter is Russian River Area Resources and advocacy (RRARA). The new Gravenstein Health Action chapter is centered in Sebastopol and includes the outlying areas around Sebastopol as well as Occidental, Graton and Bodega Bay.
The countywide initiatives/priorities for Health Action set forth in September of last year are a long and healthy life for all residents by promoting physical and mental health, safe communities, educational attainment (called cradle to career) and success from preschool to college and affordable accessible housing for all residents, as well as economic well being.
At the core of Health Action is community engagement; valuing the wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise that community members bring to addressing their health and well being issues.
Therefore the initial action of the Gravenstein chapter was to reach out into the community with listening sessions. These sessions have been held in Bodega Bay, Sebastopol, Graton and Occidental and have provided valuable information about the needs of our community.
Given this information the chapter has divided into three subgroups; Senior Services, Mental Health and Cradle to Career. Volunteers from the community are the members of these subcommittees,
The Gravenstein Health Action Chapter will hold a Summit Listening session May 14 from 6-8 p.m. in the Sebastopol library conference room. The public is encouraged to join this discussion. A brief overview of the county’s role in Health Action will be presented and the major part of the meeting will be hearing from community members on their concerns about the health and well being of their community. Please join us and share your health and well being priorities and your concern for your local community.
Sandra DeBella Bodley
Gravenstein Health Action Chapter
Impressed with paper
EDITOR: I just returned from a trip and had a moment to read the April 26 Sonoma West Times & News from cover to cover. I am so impressed with the general quality of the writing, and the content. The three editorials from publisher Atkinson, columnist Robertson and Supervisor Gore made excellent sense about local issues with universal relevance.
And, thank you for the excellent article by E.I. HIllin on the Graton Community Club Flower Show and history. I’ve read only the preface for the “Progress 2018” insert, and am already admiring the work and looking forward to reading it thoroughly and keeping it as a resource. Sonoma West contributes so much to creating community. Thank you.
HolLynn D’Lil
Graton
