The Long Beach Asthma Resource Collaborative invites all Long Beach residents to celebrate asthma awareness month by participating in the third annual Asthma Resource Fair at Admiral Kidd Park on May 18, 2013.  The Asthma Resource Fair will provide Long Beach residents with valuable information on asthma prevention and control, including free health screenings by doctors, allergists and respiratory therapists, educational materials and connections to vital resources and support services. Mobile clinics and other community resources will be present during the event.  The fair will be family friendly with drawings, door prizes and healthy snacks available to all attendees. The Greener Good Farmers Market will be open during the fair. The event is free and open to the public.

What: Asthma Resource Fair
Where: Admiral Kidd Park at 2125 Santa Fe Ave., Long Beach CA 90810
When: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday May 18, 2013.
Who: The Asthma Resource Fair is open to the general public
Why: To have fun while providing valuable resources for prevention and control of asthma Admission: FREE

The Long Beach Asthma Resource Collaborative consists of several community agencies and departments dedicated to improving the health of Long Beach residents through better asthma prevention and control.  The collaborative consists of the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, the Children’s Clinic, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, and the Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma.

The Long Beach Asthma Resource Fair is generously funded by the Port of Long Beach Mitigation Grants Program and AQMD/BP Settlement Funds.

For information on transportation assistance, please call Victoria Chavez at (562) 570-4168. For more information about the event, please call Maritza Dominguez at (562) 427-4249 or Fatima Gardezi at (562) 933-4756, or log onto www.longbeach.gov/health.

For more information please visit the RAMP website.

Full Story on the LA Times website.

What are the coalition’s current activities?
LBACA’s activities include a community health worker home visiting program, an asthma resource center, Physician Asthma Care Education training to improve physician asthma management skills and training medical assistants to provide asthma education to patients at provider sites. LBACA is also teaming up with schools, after-school programs, parks and recreational centers to develop asthma-friendly environments and policies; and mobilizing the community to respond to air quality issues, both indoors and outdoors.

What are the coalition’s long-term objectives?
To change the profile of childhood asthma in the most affected areas of the cities of Long Beach, Carson, Wilmington and San Pedro through improved healthcare delivery and quality, outreach, education, support systems, improved living environments and changes in policy at all levels.

To improve clinical outcomes including reduction in preventable hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and school absenteeism due to asthma, and enhanced quality of life measures.

How to join the coalition and its efforts?

The LBACA coalition meets bi-monthly in various locations throughout the City of Long Beach and is open to any community member, organization, clinic, health promoter or policy maker as long as they abide by the coalition by-laws and protect the coalition’s vision and overarching principles.

To find out information about our next coalition meeting, click here!

To see agenda minutes or learn more, visit the HCBF website.

Long Beach Alliance forChildren with Asthma

Presents:

Port of Long Beach Air Quality Improvement Efforts by Thomas Jelenic, Assistant Director of Environmental Planning and Allyson Teramoto, Environmental Specialist

Erica Olvera

My name is Erika Olvera; I was born inMexico Cityon July 14 1982. For my childhood I lived in nezahual coyotl. I went elementary school there. I am glad I always have my parents support and I work to help my family and my four brothers and sisters. I have a child with asthma, and I have been living inLong Beachfor 14 years, I have been involved in the A-TEAM almost five years. I have learned how to identify contaminates inside and outside my house, I also have learned public speaking, counting particular matter, and traffic count, but the most important thing I learned was how to control my child’s asthma. I am a really occupied person especially in different activities that help my community. I learn every day to grow more as a person; I am a zumba instructor which is a great accomplishment to me and my family. I am so happy to collaborate and participate and for the opportunities that I have to learn and grow that the A-team brings me.

Beatriz Guerrero

Beatriz Guerrero Vazquez, born in San Juan de los Lagos Jalisco, Mexico in 1966. study in Guadalajara Jalisco, in UDG. For 16 years I have participated volunteering on different organizations religious, political, and social work, occupying different positions. I believe of those who do not live to serve, not good to live. My participation in LBACA, have encouraged me to become a leader in my community by bring information to different families and different needs, am sure this will help them to live a better lives.

Evangelina Ramirez

My name is Evangelina Ramirez, lived in Long Beach California for 20 years. Since 1997 I have been volunteering in various organizations such as JCPP (Juvenile Crime Prevention Crime), I was the Chair of the CPC (Community Partners Council) for several years, I’m on the board of the children’s clinic and have been a member since 1999 for LBACA. I’ve been a community leader on health issues, I have been known for my advocacy work. I am a mother of three and my daughter Lorraine has asthma. I have always worked to improve the community where I live with my children. I was part of the healthy home plan, I participated in coalition meetings, I have made visits legislators, I participated in health fairs, hearings throughout the state, and have attended a variety of asthma-related training, Pest Management, tenants’ rights, health Workers Course, etc. . I served for several years as C0-Chair of LBACA and involved in the Steering Committee, Community and Consumer Workgroup. As part of the A-Team have done training in the community about the environment. I am involve in the expanding of the I-710 Fwy, and part of clean trucks program etc … I am advocating for a cleaner environment and health aid for people in my community. Thanks to all the work I’ve done as a volunteer in different organizations in 2004 I got the Gene Lentzer Human Relations Award, now I continue to participate in LBACA and also participated in other groups as (HLB) Housing Long Beach, (LBCA) Long Beach Community Action (LBAFF) Long Beach Alliance for Food and Fitness, The Language Access Coalition.