Food Equity

AMY COMMUNITY COUNCIL


AMY’s Community Council goal is to develop strategies and build advocacy skills to impact equitable health policies in Oregon. Members are volunteers who share knowledge on parenting, pregnancy, early childhood development, prenatal care, food equity, health disparities and latino community social services.


So far, the Community council has identified policy issues that include the following:1. equitable access to healthy food; 2. increased access to prenatal education and early childhood education; and 3. reduced access to sugar sweetened beverages.


During its first year (2018), the Community Council has conducted training sessions on the importance of nutrition during pregnancy and epigenetics; it has also revised the Abuela, Mamá y Yo Curriculum and participated in focus groups in Portland, Hermiston, and Woodburn. Furthermore, the Community Council participated in campaign against Measure 105, which was defeated.


The Council has held discussions about social determinants of health and barriers to food access such as lack of transportation, community gardens, and understandable, accurate information about different programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women and Infants and Children (WIC), and Double-up Bucks. A theme they have all shared is the mistrust and fear people experience due to the uncertainty of whether it is safe to apply for these benefits due to the possible impact on legal status, especially considering recent public charge policies.


For 2019, the Community Council has decided to learn more about food assistance services such SNAP, WIC, and Double-Up Bucks and how they might be affected by public charge. In March 2019, the Community Council got trained on SNAP and did secret shopper visits to DHS offices with the purpose of evaluating customer service and learn more about the process. Stay posted for more Community Council updates!

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END HUNGER IN OREGON SCHOOLS

Now is the time to end hunger in Oregon’s Schools!

Healthy school meals are just as important to learning as textbooks or pencils. Children who participate in school meals are shown to: attend more days of school, show improved test scores, be more likely to graduate, and earn more as adults.

Every student, classroom, teacher, and community is better off when kids start the school day well-nourished and ready to learn. Oregon has the opportunity to become the first state in the nation to offer healthy, tasty school meals to all children at no charge – helping every student learn, grow, and succeed in life!

Why Universal School Meals?

  • Reduces stigma. Universal meals level the playing field for all students. It’s just classmates breaking bread together.
  • Equity. In this time of fear and uncertainty around immigration, reports are widespread of immigrant families being reluctant to apply for benefits for which they’re legally eligible – including school meals. No child should go without a meal due to fear.
  • Centers the needs of kids and working parents. In listening circles with parents and students, the idea of universal meals emerged as a key issue.
  • Eliminates the “Benefit Cliff.” Due to the high cost of housing, 37% of kids in Oregon who experience food insecurity are in households that earn too much to qualify.

That’s why Familias en Acción supports Universal Access to School Meals (HB 2760) and Breakfast After the Bell (HB 2765).

Tell your legislators to take action today!

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Abuela, Mamá y Yo

For information about registering to our AMY classes, visit here.

What is Abuela, Mamá  y Yo (AMY)?

Abuela, Mamá, y Yo is a state-wide Latina/x program that provides information on:

  • Healthy eating that helps create strong and healthy children
  • The impact of the food we eat on our bodies
  • Advocacy for better nutrition
  • The impact that climate change has on mental health
  • How healthy foods reduce the risk of diabetes and chronic diseases

Classes are for members of the Latina/x community who care for children ages 0-5, pregnant women, and anyone interested in gaining knowledge about nutrition and food equity. 

Why is this so important?

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) research tells us that a baby’s health is impacted by three generations of their family. This genetic chain is also modified by environmental issues and social determinants of health (SDH), such as poverty, driving the increase of chronic diseases among our populations. Currently Latinos are experiencing an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes. In the US today,, about  25% of US Latino children ages six to 11 years of age are obese, and over 33% of Latino children live in poverty. 

Our project responds to an urgent need to build Latino advocacy and knowledge between social inequalities and healthy families. Current public health education programs often focus on individual responsibility for having a healthy family. However, it is equally important to develop equitable public policies to improve the social, physical, and economic environments so that Latino families can build healthy lives. 

Listen to what class participant Luz Gaytan has to say about our AMY classes:

Food Equity for healthy Latino families differs from traditional nutritional programs because it addresses the root causes of health inequities. The curriculum enhances knowledge of the role of the community environment in the availability of appropriate nutrition and level of social stress experienced prior to and during pregnancy. Participants build their knowledge about the health impacts of poverty, racial discrimination, social disadvantages, and overall toxic stress on themselves and their children. Self advocacy skills in food justice will build self-sufficiency for participants.

PARTNERSHIP: In 2018, Familias en Acción started this project in collaboration with the OHSU Moore Institute for Nutrition and Wellness. Through Focus groups we gathered data and information about eating habits, food access and health education. With this information and research on epigenetics, nutrition and the developmental origins of Health and Disease we created our curriculum that is currently used today.

AMY NEWSLETTER: In our Abuela, Mamá y Yo Newsletter, we will share news about AMY trainings, public policies relevant to food and health equity, advocacy days, healthy recipes and more! Sign up now.

EVALUATION & FEEDBACK: Hear what our community has to say about our AMY program.

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Conoce al Dr.Alejandro Feo

El Dr. Alejandro y su gatita Lychee Fu.

El Dr. Alejandro Feo es originario de la capital de Venezuela, Caracas. Nacido en un país con hermosos paisajes y una rica cultura, el Dr. Alejandro se ha dedicado a la medicina por muchos años. El Dr. Alejandro asistió a la Universidad Central de Venezuela donde recibió su entrenamiento  y su título como Médico, luego realizó dos postgrados uno en Medicina Interna y el segundo en Terapia Intensiva o Medicina Crítica.  En Venezuela, él tuvo la oportunidad de trabajar con mujeres embarazadas en la Maternidad Concepción Palacios, donde pudo ver en primera persona la relación entre la nutrición de las madres y la salud de ellas y los bebés.

Debido a la situación política en Venezuela, el Dr. Alejandro y su esposa decidieron venir a los Estados Unidos. Después de conocer otras partes del país, Portland fue la ciudad elegida por sus hermosos paisajes. Durante los primeros años en Portland, el Dr. Alejandro contactó a varias personas para seguir trabajando en el área de salud materna.

Por cosas del destino, el Dr. Kent Thornburg el cual es Director del Moore Institute de la Universidad de Ciencias de la Salud de Oregon (OHSU) hizo una conexión entre el Dr. Alejandro y otras organizaciones dedicadas al mejoramiento de la salud de los Latinos. El Dr. Alejandro ha sido una persona importante en desarrollar relaciones entre el Moore Institute y organizaciones Latinas cómo Familias en Acción.

En ese entonces, un nuevo proyecto, Abuela, Mamá y Yo se estaba realizando y el Dr. Alejandro tuvo la oportunidad de involucrarse más con nuestro programa. Al Dr. Alejandro le gusta mucho que el programa esté basado en la epigenética y el que hace conexión entre la nutrición de la mamá y la salud de futuras generaciones. Como decía Hipócrates “La comida es medicina.” Al mismo tiempo, le encanta que Abuela, Mamá y Yo esté enfocado en la cultura y empoderamiento. 

Junto con Familias en Acción, el Dr. Alejandro participa en nuestro concilio comunitario y ha ayudado a facilitar las clases virtuales de Abuela, Mamá y Yo. Sabiendo que muchas familias Latinas en los Estados Unidos tienen muchas barreras para acceder a los cuidados de la salud, el Dr. Alejandro está dedicado a fomentar educación sobre la nutrición y su importancia durante del embarazo y luego de este, especialmente durante los primeros años del recién nacido, incluyendo esta la lactancia materna. El Dr. Alejandro nos comparte “El embarazo es una etapa importante para la vida futura de las madres y su bebés” por lo que una adecuada y saludable alimentación durante esta etapa, así como otros cuidados son fundamentales. Continuar estas prácticas después del parto en el caso de la madre  y durante los primeros años en el caso del niño, son igualmente determinantes de la futura salud de ambos.

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