COPA's Acosta Plaza Youth Accost Mayor...to Clean Up Park
When confronted by Everett High School youth leaders about whether he would pitch in to help clean up Acosta Plaza, Salinas Mayor Joe Gunter didn't skip a beat. "Yes," he said to a group of presumptuous, yet polite, youth that had already successfully shaken down $500 from a neighborhood association for a basketball court. The campaign to clean up Acosta Plaza is led by East Salinan youth and recent college graduates eager to improve their neighborhood's image.
The Californian.com notes that Plaza cleanup is "going to do a lot of good."
Read moreOne LA Spreads Word of DACA Eligibility for Healthcare
"Diane Vanette, a volunteer with OneLA who screens people at Obamacare enrollment events, recently informed a couple with deferred-action status that they were both eligible for Medi-Cal. "He was shocked, she was shocked," Vanette said.
Read moreCOPA Explodes Barriers to Healthcare Access in Monterey
Since last year's victory in busting through political blockage to resurrect the Low Income Health Plan, Viacare, over 3,000 Monterey County residents have enrolled, doubling last year's projections. In addition to this, and in partnership with the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, COPA institutions reached over 2500 people through civic academies about the Affordable Care Act.
County Extends Health Insurance Bridge Program, Obamacare Enrollment Kicks In, Monterey County Weekly
One LA's 'Coverage For All' Assembly Draws Hundreds
Since February, One LA has enrolled over 3,000 eligible for Medicaid expansion through its mobile enrollment clinics held in local congregations. In the process, they discovered thousands of low wage taxpayers left out of Obamacare due to their immigration status. Hundreds of One LA leaders assembled mid-October to call on veteran County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky to create and fund a County-based health coverage program for 1 million undocumented residents. The Supervisor agreed to meet with One LA within 30 days to begin discussion of the plan.
Leaders also testified to the challenges experienced when trying to enroll people on Covered California, the state based health exchange that opened October 1. A board member and staff member of Covered California agreed to meet with One LA before the end of the year to discuss changes needed in the health exchanges outreach strategy.
Read moreCOPA Addresses Immigrant Fears in Meeting with Sheriff
At least 70 leaders from Communities Organized for Relational Power (COPA) organized a meeting with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff to address immigrants' fears about reporting crime and the preponderance of racial profiling.
Participants included people like Johnny Delmar, a UCSC student who shared his story about being profiled recently by rifle-armed police looking for robbery suspects.
Read moreCommon Ground Launches with 1,500 Delegates in Vallejo, CA
"An enthusiastic crowd of about 1,500 people filled a Vallejo high school gym Sunday afternoon to welcome a new multi-county organization to the community.
Read moreOne LA Enrolls Hundreds in County Healthcare System
"L.A. County is teaming with OneLA to hold enrollment events in places where those needing healthcare coverage naturally congregate, such as churches and schools....Volunteers are identifying people through the church parishes and doing pre-screening so the enrollment can occur on the spot. Some of the people are eligible for Medi-Cal, and others are being enrolled in Healthy Way LA, a temporary coverage program until the Medi-Cal expansion takes place in 2014.
The effort relies on trained volunteers, with help from Neighborhood Legal Services and the L.A. County Department of Health Services. The volunteers are also working to link people with clinics near their homes."
Read moreNorCal IAF Immigration Action Team ‘Ready for Reform’
Bay Area IAF organizations have been in local action for years around issues effecting immigrants, and are getting ready for federal immigration reform. Leaders in Marin, Sonoma, Solano, and Napa counties have been organizing immigration workshops and clinics aimed at connecting immigrants with trusted legal support, educating people about immigration reform proposals, and building a constituency of immigrant and non-immigrant leaders to lay the local foundation for a successful pathway to citizenship. Since December, more than 500 people have participated in workshops and clinics focused on youth applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and over 100 native-born allies have taken part in local Immigration Action Team workshops on the history and current implications of US immigration policy.
One LA Wins Fight to Directly Enroll Thousands in Healthcare Services
One LA leaders fought for and won "Community Partner Status" with the LA County Department of Health Services, granting it direct access to the county enrollment system. Now 50 leaders will train to become 'Certified Application Assisters', with the power to directly enroll people through the County computer system at 25 One LA mobile enrollment events at member institutions. They will be supported 30 leaders at each institution trained as 'healthcare experts,' who will educate and recruit people to attend their institiution's events. The goal is to enroll thousands of eligible LA residents.
NorCal IAF Trains Spanish Speaking Leaders
Over President's Day Weekend 51 leaders took part in a three-day Spanish language training which included a track in English. Leaders are preparing for the founding of a new IAF effort in the Bay Area, set for June 2013.