Around California: Events Raise Awareness Of Diet, Food Allergy And Hunger
And a Contra Costa County study finds that kids are being bombarded with promotions for alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy foods. Also, a San Diego gathering of brain injury specialists will discuss the dangers of concussions.
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Food Bank And Family Services, Sutter Health Team Up To Provide Produce
The bounty is available once a month at the Produce For All truck, a project of Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, which delivers fresh fruit and veggies to Arden Arcade and about a dozen other low-income areas throughout the county. The truck’s flanks have pull-out bins that create a pop-up farmers market of sorts, which allows volunteers to quickly distribute the free produce. About 100 gathered in the church parking lot with bags in hand Thursday, anxious for their turn at the colorful food stand. (Caiola, 3/9)
San Jose Mercury News:
San Ramon’s Vitality Bowls Group Teams Up With San Jose Allergy Crusaders
Vitality Bowls, the “superfood” restaurant launched in San Ramon by a couple whose daughter suffers from food allergies, has enlisted new allergy advocates as the enterprise expands throughout the Bay Area. Brian and Kathy Hom, the San Jose parents who became EpiPen crusaders after their son B.J. died of a peanut allergy reaction while vacationing in Mexico, have joined forces with founders Tara and Roy Gilad to open two Vitality Bowls in South San Jose. Their first is at the new Village Oaks Plaza on Cottle Road and the second, due in April, will be on Cherry Avenue. (Zavoral, 3/9)
East Bay Times:
Food Network Chef Tanya Holland Honors Oakland School
With restaurateur and chef [Tanya] Holland visiting, many of the students gobbled down a hearty breakfast that consisted of sausage biscuit, apple and a carton of milk. A local and national culinary celebrity, Holland was there to award the school principal, Neha Ummat, with a Breakfast Champion award from the national anti-hunger nonprofit No Kid Hungry for her leadership in implementing a universal breakfast-after-the-bell program as a key strategy to fight child hunger. (Tsai, 3/9)
KPBS:
Brain Injury Rehabilitation Experts To Meet In San Diego
Hundreds of doctors and researchers are gathering in San Diego this weekend for the 12th annual Scripps Health conference on brain injury and rehabilitation. An estimated 2.5 million Americans sustain a brain injury each year. The vast majority of these are mild concussions. But a significant number are severe enough to require hospitalization. (Goldberg, 3/9)
NBC Bay Area:
Contra Costa County Youth Aggressively Targeted With Tobacco, Alcohol Ads
A study released by the Contra Costa Health Department on Wednesday shows that alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy foods are being promoted to the county’s youth at alarming rates, especially in poorer cities. The data, which comes courtesy of a statewide survey, shows that 77 percent of stores near county schools sell tobacco products in kid-friendly flavors, like cherry and watermelon. (Edevane, 3/9)