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Mission Report: The L.A. Trust pivoted during pandemic
Our lockdown year (clockwise from top left): The L.A. Trust attended an on-campus healthcare rally; distributed PPE at St. John’s; taught little ones to brush on KLCS; handed out 100,000 toothbrushes during Operation Tooth Fairy; engaged students on Zoom; and helped promote the online CSHA Conference with State Superintendent Tony Thurmond.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health has released its 2021 Mission Report documenting an extraordinary year for the nonprofit agency and its stakeholders.
“Last year was challenging, especially for our underserved communities,” Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust, told stakeholders. “But it was not a lost year.”
“Like our students, teachers, school staff and healthcare providers, we found new strength, learned new skills and made new connections online,” Puffer said. “Like them, we found new ways of accomplishing our mission.”
The 16-page Mission Report details how the L.A. Trust pivoted during the quarantine. It transferred in-person meetings to online platforms like Zoom; expanded education campaigns on social media and television; and distributed more than 100,000 oral healthcare items and PPE at Wellness Centers and schools.
The L.A. Trust launched a new Student Mental Health Initiative and educated legislators about the need for school-based healthcare. It also convened experts and stakeholders at online forums and engaged student health advocates at virtual events. The L.A. Trust also launched a new website and rallying cry, “Putting the care in student healthcare.”
Students the unsung heroes
“Our partners stepped up to support us as we pivoted,” the report notes. “Los Angeles Unified School District emerged as a national leader in handling the crisis, and healthcare providers saved lives, while risking their own.”
An introductory message from Puffer and Board Chair Will Grice said, “The unsung heroes of the pandemic were our young people, who managed online education, nursed sick loved ones and shouldered increased family responsibilities.”
The Mission Report documents The L.A. Trust’s activities in nine key areas: Advocacy, healthy living/nutrition, mental health, oral health, research, sexual and reproductive health, student engagement, substance use prevention and support for L.A. Unified’s 17 Wellness Centers.
The report also lists key funders of The L.A. Trust, board members, Wellness Centers and Student Advisory Boards. It includes a financial report for the 12 months ended June 30, 2020 showing how the organization withstood the economic downturn by lowering overhead and raising funds through new grants and individual donations.
“I especially want to thank our executive committee and board for guiding us through this tumultuous year,” Puffer said. “Their expertise, counsel and personal fundraising activities were indispensable.”
It was a year that challenged almost everything
Empty classrooms and full intensive care units created a year of unprecedented challenges for Los Angeles students, educators and healthcare providers.
A pandemic. An uprising. An education crisis. And an economic crash. The year 2020 was one of the most challenging years in our history — and an outsize share of those challenges were borne by the students, educators and healthcare workers we serve.
“Our friends rallied around us, and we rallied around them during this crisis,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health. “But the problems experienced in 2020 — healthcare and income disparity, racial injustice, distrust of our institutions and inadequate public health facilities — did not start in 2020 and will not disappear in 2021. We have so much work to do.”
The L.A. Trust adapted quickly to the pandemic and school closures in mid-March, transferring in-person outreach to social media and face-to-face meetings to online platforms like Zoom.
With schools on lockdown and many Wellness Centers closed, The L.A. Trust redoubled its efforts to address the primary, oral and mental health needs of Los Angeles Unified students:
Held Wellness Center Learning Collaboratives online in May, October and December to discuss urgent issues related to the pandemic. The three online events were attended by a total of nearly 200 healthcare providers, researchers and L.A. Unified facilitators.
Provided its stakeholders with information about the unfolding pandemic, interviewing experts like Barbara Ferrer, head of L.A. County Public Health, and Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John’s Well Child & Family Center, operator of Wellness Centers at Lincoln, Manual Arts and Washington Prep, which have remained open during COVID.
June: Distributed more than 50,000 toothbrushes as part of Operation Tooth Fairy, garnering widespread media coverage about the importance of maintaining oral health.
July/December: Conducted virtual convenings of The L.A. Trust’s Oral Health Advisory board to help providers pivot during COVID crisis. An in-person meeting was held in March, pre-COVID.
July: Moved its nutrition programs online, reaching nearly 80,000 students and community members with Facebook workshops and professionally produced cooking videos.
August: Trained student health advocates at our first-ever Summer Academy and supported Student Advisory Board members and their allies throughout the pandemic.
August: The L.A. Trust launched our Student Mental Health Initiative, funded by a $100,000 grant by Cedars-Sinai and a $50,000 grant by Health Net. The initiative will train students as peer leaders through The L.A. Trust’s Student Advisory Boards, increasing awareness of symptoms like anxiety and depression, and building positive coping mechanisms and self-referrals to care. The initiative will include student-run social media campaigns and online trainings such as “Youth Mental Health First Aid” starting in the fall.
September: Educated more than 40 state legislators and their staff on the need for school-based healthcare during a first-ever virtual Advocacy Day.
September: Launched a new website for The L.A. Trust with expanded resources and a new rallying cry, “Putting the care in student healthcare.”
October: Helped promote and conduct the online California School-Based Health Alliance Conference, attended by nearly 1,000 health advocates from across the state.
October: Released a Data xChange Report on the impact of L.A. Unified Wellness Centers over the past five years.
Fall: Partnered with L.A. Unified and KLCS-TV to broadcast The L.A.Trust-produced nutrition and oral health spots reaching an audience of up to 2.3 million students and family members.
Fall: The L.A. Trust’s program managers, adult allies, director of programs and executive director completed the eight-hour Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training and received certification as YMHFA providers. The L.A. Trust’s program manager in turn trained dozens of Student Advisory Board members in the How to H.E.L.P. A Friend curriculum.
November: Worked with the office of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and the T.H.E. Clinic to distribute thousands of N95 protective masks to frontline healthcare workers at Los Angeles Unified Wellness Centers.
December: Created a new Oral Health Toolkit to put resources at dental providers’ fingertips.
“It has been a devastating year,” Puffer said, “and the effects are far from over. But last year witnessed unimaginable courage, resilience and resourcefulness. We are so proud of our students, educators, healthcare providers and partners in Los Angeles Unified and beyond.”
Foundations sustain The L.A. Trust through COVID-19
Ballmer Group is among the foundations that have stepped up to support the work of The L.A. Trust during the coronavirus pandemic.
In the midst of the suffering and uncertainty of our multiple pandemics, the outpouring of community support from the philanthropic world has been heartening and reassuring. We continue to receive grants that make the difference for students between empty days and much-needed healing and enrichment. The following funders have committed grants this past quarter to benefit those we serve:
Ballmer Group notified us of their intention to invest on a large scale in student mental health through a two-year, $300,000 grant that will support our Student Mental Health Initiative, including Youth Mental Health Collaboratives. The purpose of The L.A. Trust project is to increase mental health education and prevention among Los Angeles Unified students within the Wellness Network by launching a collaborative made up of LAUSD leaders, Wellness Center staff, and community mental health organizations to identify and resolve obstacles to care. Student input will be a key component informing the group’s work. The group will also advocate for needed policy change at the district and county level. Much like our Wellness Network Learning Collaborative, our Oral Health Advisory Board and Data xChange Expert Advisory Council, this collaborative aims to improve students’ well-being through increased cooperation among stakeholders.
Ballmer Group supports efforts to improve economic mobility for children and families in the United States who are disproportionately likely to remain in poverty. This generous grant reflects their belief that building pathways to opportunity requires broad, systemic change.
Dignity Health is also making a significant investment in mental health, through a three-year effort funded in part by UniHealth Foundation to increase the awareness, skills and capacity of local community organizations and individuals to identify mental distress, address the impacts of trauma, reduce stigma and increase resiliency via delivery of mental health awareness education. The project focuses on children and youth of color and the adults who care for them in areas where high health disparities persist. Through a grant of $65,000, The L.A. Trust is joining in the second year of the project and will train after-school and academic support programs in Youth Mental Health First Aid and students in peer-to-peer outreach. We’re honored to work with the many organizations pioneering this effort.
FCancer awarded The L.A. Trust $12,000 to expand HPV education and increase HPV vaccinations during the fall semester at the schools we serve. This is an extension of FCancer’s Take a Shot campaign. FCancer is dedicated to prevention, early detection, and providing emotional support to those affected by cancer. We have been working with FCancer since 2016 and are proud to continue this key cancer prevention initiative in spite of the limitations imposed by COVID-19 precautions.
QueensCare is partnering with us for the first time through a $50,000 grant to support oral health education for children and their caregivers associated with nine local elementary schools. The L.A. Trust will share information via educational branded videos and live video chats with our community members. A nonprofit organization with compassion at its core, QueensCare offers direct patient care through a mobile dental program at many LAUSD schools and in the community. Understanding that tooth decay is the most pervasive, yet preventable, chronic disease among children in the United States, we are very grateful to continue our long-standing commitment to oral health for children through this grant. The support from QueensCare comes at a critical point in the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing The L.A. Trust to deliver much-needed educational outreach when many cannot access adequate dental care.
Satterberg Foundation has been a key supporter over the last three years through its seminal Core Support Grants. The Foundation recently let us know that they intend to provide another five years of general operating support in the form of $125,000 a year. The mission of the Seattle-based foundation is to promote a just society and a sustainable environment. The founders, board members, and staff of the Satterberg Foundation have a highly progressive, inclusive approach to grant-making. Their goal is to help organizations achieve their goals, to adapt to change, to innovate and to improve their ability to serve the community. They have been foundational in The L.A. Trust’s growth over the past three years, and we’re deeply honored to be continuing this relationship.
Our current times illuminate with great clarity the ways in which all of us are interconnected. The interdependence of student services, social progress, and philanthropy can be seen in these generous grants from committed, forward-thinking institutions. We remain grateful for and inspired by these sustaining relationships.
Board members of The L.A. Trust will work up a sweat to raise funds
Board members and supporters of The L.A. Trust are challenging their friends and colleagues to sponsor them in a fall fundraiser Up to Us.
Board members and other supporters of The L.A. Trust will be biking, running, walking, swimming and participating in other activities November 16-29 to raise funds as part of the organization’s Thanksgiving fundraising campaign, “Up to Us: The L.A. Trust.”
Donate now
The participants are asking friends and colleagues to help them meet the campaign’s goal of $15,000. All donations will go to The L.A. Trust to support its student and community activities, including prevention education, Oral Health Initiative, research and best practices, mental and behavioral health, Wellness Center support and other needs.
“The coronavirus has required us to devise new ways to continue preventive healthcare education and access at a time we need it most,” said Will Grice of Kaiser Permanente, board president of The L.A. Trust. “The mission of The L.A. Trust is to bridge the gap in healthcare in our underserved communities, and that mission is more important now than ever.”
To sponsor a Board member or supporter Donate Now. To register as a Truster and ask your friends and colleagues to support your activity Register Now.
The L.A. Trust launches new website and campaign
The L.A. Trust’s new website and rallying cry — Putting the care in student healthcare — is the culmination of a reinvention and rebranding initiative started last year.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health has launched a new rallying cry, website and outreach to help it better serve students, community members, allies and healthcare partners throughout the region.
“This website is the part of a reinvention process we began last year,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust. “Since then, we’ve developed new strategies, values, vision and mission statements. We introduced new branding, communications and outreach. Today we introduce a new website and a new rallying cry, ‘Putting the care in student healthcare.’
Multiple pandemics
“We’re fighting multiple pandemics.” Puffer said. “Our students are hurting, our communities are struggling and many of our institutions are reeling. Our new rallying cry represents The L.A. Trust’s commitment to help our kids and teens address the challenges they face.”
Rob Wray, associate director for communications and media at The L.A. Trust said, “Our new website tells the story of The L.A. Trust. It outlines our missions, showcases our work and provides important resources on student health,” he said.
“This site, developed in-house and by LeftBrainRightBrain Marketing, is the beginning of the process, not the end,” he said. “We will add more resources, more news and more stories going forward, evolving with the needs of our constituents and partners.
Board members of The L.A. Trust strategize in face of COVID-19
Dr. Manuel Pastor, author and distinguished professor at USC, briefed The L.A. Trust Board on healthcare inequties and demographic dynamics impacting student wellness.
The coronavirus crisis and healthcare inequity topped the agenda as members of the Board of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health gathered online for their annual retreat August 6-7.
The objectives of the retreat were to understand the current landscape for student health and wellness in Los Angeles, assess the status of The L.A. Trust and its strategic plan, understand the priorities of L.A. Unified, and identify opportunities to pivot.
Board members and officers also welcomed a new member, Jordan Keville of the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine, who will replace Dennis S. Diaz effective January 1.
Dr. Manuel Pastor, distinguished professor of sociology and American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California, opened the retreat with a detailed overview of demographic dynamics impacting California and student and community health, including the impact of coronavirus on communities of color.
Pastor, author of State of Resistance: What California’s Dizzying Descent and Remarkable Resurgence Mean for America’s Future, noted that California is a majority people of color state, and the nation will follow in its footsteps in the next two decades.
“Racism in our society is a feature, not a bug,” he said. “We must teach young people to be racism ready and racism resistant – that is, able to stand up for themselves and understand that racism is a system” that must be fought.
Students tell it like it is
Members of The L.A. Trust’s Student Advisory Boards from Crenshaw, Locke and John Marshall High Schools shared with the Board their personal and candid accounts of life during lockdown.
One student had tested positive for COVID-19 and was isolated from her parents, who were taken ill with virus. She said she had lost several loved ones to the COVID-19.
Other students reported being family caregivers while their parents worked outside the home, and a few said the lockdown had enabled them to get closer to their families.
Asked how things could be improved, one student said, “Youth have a lot of stuff happening. Slow down the (school) demands.” Another student said he would like to visit his campus in person one time. Students were concerned that classmates were falling behind. “Most of our friends have not finished all their classes, they have to go to Saturday school to make it up.”
One student was concerned about “foster kids or very poor kids who didn’t have food, electricity or rent. A lot of my peers haven’t been eating.” Her biggest frustration was not being able to go out to her school and community to help.
Related:
COVID-19 worsens L.A.’s food crisis: How to get help (or help others)
What my ‘summer book club’ taught me about student health centers
Cami Slavkin, summer intern at The L.A. Trust, has been studying the importance of school-based health centers to student health.
By Cami Slavkin
As a recent graduate from LACES, a Title I L.A. Unified school without a school-based health center, my knowledge of these health centers was slim. But I was aware of the vital need for their existence, and I knew many of my classmates did not have access to private insurance and quality healthcare, a luxury I took for granted.
Not only was I unfamiliar with how SBHCs were implemented and utilized on campuses, I was didn’t realize the planning, funding and analysis that went into them.
My understanding of these SBHCs greatly increased during the first month of my summer internship at The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health. I had the invaluable opportunity to join the “June Journal Club” with several members of The L.A. Trust staff. Each week we met via Zoom to discuss academic journal articles that made the case for SBHCs and demonstrated the crucial role they play on school campuses.
During these four weeks, we read and discussed a variety of articles, including “Twenty Years of School-Based Health Care Growth and Expansion,” published by Health Affairs, and “School-based Health Services and Educational Attainment,” based on the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health.
Evolution of SBHCs
I learned about the history of SBHCs, how they’ve evolved over the past 20 years, what services they provide and how they are funded. We read about longitudinal studies discussing the correlation between the presence of SBHCs and students’ school connectedness and future educational attainment. These journal articles showed me how SBHCs impact students and communities, and gave me valuable experience in reading academic peer-reviewed journals.
While I gained a wealth of knowledge from these readings, the group discussions were what really helped strengthen my understanding. These discussions with accomplished members of The L.A. Trust staff delved deep into a variety of topics, and included their first-hand experience working directly with these SBHCs and the students they serve. Their experiences and analysis of each reading gave me a deeper insight into how school-based healthcare works. Hearing of the staff’s encounters at these schools enhanced my understanding of SBHCs and allowed me to better comprehend the studies we read.
I also learned about the importance of the relationship between SBHCs and schools, the power of self-consent, and the influence of public policy. The June Journal Club was a powerful experience. The knowledge I gained will support me not just during my internship with The L.A. Trust, but throughout my future endeavors. While I not sure what career path I’ll pursue, I am certain I want to make a difference. My experience at The L.A. Trust and the June Journal Club is sure to help me do that.
A special message: Our young people are hurting
The death of George Floyd has brought the issue of racism and police brutality to the forefront once again. But our Black and Brown students do not need reminding — they live the reality of racism every day.
Racism affects every aspect of American life, from policing and criminal justice to our healthcare and education systems. Its legacy is economic inequality, underfunded schools and inadequate healthcare.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health was founded 19 years ago to help address disparities in access to healthcare and prevention programs. With the COVID crisis and economic recession, these inequities are getting worse, not better.
Our families are hurting. Our young people are angry. Well-meaning proclamations will not do. We need real reform in criminal justice, healthcare and education. We cannot do this overnight, but we must begin.
Maryjane Puffer
Executive Director
Eight major grants will power The L.A. Trust’s mission
New grants will fuel objectives of The L.A. Trust, including youth engagement. Participants in this year’s Youth to Youth Summit shown above.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health is pleased to announce a series of grants that will help the organization meet its mission in the coming month and years. “During this global health crisis, the world needs these givers more than ever,” said Anna Baum, director of development and communications for The L.A. Trust. “We’re grateful they have placed their trust in us.”
Baum reported:
The Weingart Foundation is supporting our mission with a $125,000 unrestricted operating support grant which we plan to use to support organizational planning and staff development as well as the Data xChange. We’re very pleased to partner with this foundation for the first time, which has helped nonprofits reach underserved communities for over 50 years.
We’re very happy to announce another first-time partnership, with UniHealth Foundation to further work on our groundbreaking Data xChange. UniHealth has been supporting nonprofit, community-based hospitals and health organizations for over 20 years. This two-year, $200,000 grant will allow us to continue integrating Wellness Network health services data with LAUSD academic data.
Two major forces in the Los Angeles area healthcare arena have stepped up to provide relief to teens through a new initiative to be deployed next school year: The L.A. Trust’s School-Based Mental Health Education & Awareness Program. Health Net committed $50,000 and Cedars-Sinai $100,000 to this program, which is in the planning phase. By building capacity among students as peer leaders through our Student Advisory Boards, the program seeks to increase awareness of symptoms like anxiety and depression, and to increase positive coping mechanisms as well as self-referrals to care. The mental health crisis among our underserved youth can only be addressed through the prescience and generosity of funders like Cedars-Sinai and Health Net.
The Annenberg Foundation has made an unrestricted operating support grant to further our mission to improve student health and increase readiness to learn. We’re very pleased to be partnering with Annenberg, which has demonstrated its commitment to education and well-being for over 30 years.
Last fall The Ahmanson Foundation awarded us a grant for furnishings and computers at Roybal Learning Center where over half the staff is located. This has already proved extremely helpful as we transition to remote work plans, and will be even more so when we reconvene on campus.
Two recent grants have buoyed our activities: Insperity, our human resources services company, awarded a grant to support our Student Advisory Boards. The California Credit Union awarded a grant that will helps us upgrade and maintain key technical platforms like QuickBooks. These timely grants will support our student outreach during the current LAUSD closures, as well as into the coming school year.
In addition to awarding these generous grants, all the funders acknowledged here have announced flexibility in regard to dates and fund restrictions in light of the COVID-19 environment. We applaud the efforts of our funders and express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who make these grants possible, Baum said.
Mission Report from The L.A. Trust shows a year of progress
The L.A. Trust’s Mission Report sounds a hopeful note during a time of crisis.
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health has released its first-ever Mission Report capturing a year of accomplishments and looking forward to “healthier days ahead.”
Executive Director Maryjane Puffer and Board President William Grice of Kaiser Permanente, observed that “the COVID-19 health crisis and economic downturn have been a dramatic reminder of how much depends on our education and healthcare systems.”
More than four in five Los Angeles Unified students live in poverty, the report notes, and there are wide disparities in healthcare access. “The COVID-19 crisis is severely worsening these dual hardships and students need our help more than ever.”
The report outlines how The L.A. Trust, working with its funders and allies, is bridging the worlds of health and education to achieve student wellness.
In last fiscal year 2018-2019, The L.A. Trust:
Launched The L.A. Trust Data xChange, which links confidential health and academic data to determine how student health affects student performance.
Partnered with the University of California San Francisco to launch a bilingual contraception awareness app for Latina teens.
Supported the growing network of Student and Family Wellness Centers on LAUSD campuses, with best practices, research and Learning Collaborative convenings.
Facilitated screenings for more than 1,700 kindergartners and third-graders at dozens of LAUSD elementary schools and provided oral health education throughout the district.
Worked with Student Advisory Board members and their Adult Allies at Wellness Center schools on issues like STD prevention, HPV vaccination and substance use.
Advocated for fresh foods and good nutrition, teaching more than 100 student and community nutrition courses, appearing at events like the Fremont Free Food Fair and promoting the benefits of drinking water.
Worked with community partners and student advocates to fight vaping, tobacco and substance use among LAUSD students.
“None of this would have been possible without the help of partners and allies,” said Anna Baum, director of development and communication. “We’re very grateful for their support, especially in times like these.”
Puffer gave special thanks to The L.A. Trust Board of Directors “who work selflessly so every L.A. student can have equal access to healthcare and an equal shot at success.”
Many Wellness Centers (and The L.A. Trust) will stay open
Many LAUSD Wellness Centers will remain open during the COVID-19 health crisis, according to a survey of the Wellness Network by The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health.
OPEN WELLNESS CENTERS*
Belmont
Carson
Fremont
Gage Middle School
Jefferson (Wednesdays only)
Manual Arts
Monroe
Washington Prep
CLOSED WELLNESS CENTERS
Crenshaw
Elizabeth Learning Center
Garfield
Hollywood High
Jordan
Locke Early Education Center
MaCES
Santee Education Complex
*Some Wellness Centers have modified schedules. Call for details.
The County of Los Angeles advises anyone with flu-like symptoms to call their doctor or 2-1-1 to see if they need testing — they should not visit any healthcare facility without checking that it is safe for them to do so.
The L.A. Trust open
In a letter to stakeholders, The L.A. Trust announced it would remain open during the coronavirus emergency.
“This is an unprecedented time in our city, nation and world,” Executive Director Maryjane Puffer said. “As we all take steps to stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, we want you to know what The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health is doing in response:
The L.A. Trust is open for business during regular business hours, with staff working remotely. We will continue our day-to-day operations and reschedule on-campus and community outreach when we can safely resume these services.
We have postponed our Spring Wellness Network Learning Collaborative and cancelled our Summer Solstice 2020 fundraiser.
We will closely monitor the situation and provide updates from The L.A. Trust, the Los Angeles Unified School District and our Wellness Center and healthcare partners.
We will share fact-based content on how to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus crisis that is impacting our students, communities, clinics and healthcare providers.
“Nothing is more important to The L.A. Trust than the health of our children — or the well-being of the educators and healthcare professionals who care for them,” Puffer said. “I want to thank them for all they’re doing to help our students and protect the health of our community in this difficult time.”
This story was updated March 27 at 9:30 am PDT.
A ground-breaking year for The L.A. Trust and its partners in student health
Maryjane Puffer joined students and community leaders at the groundbreaking for a new Student and Family Wellness Center at Mendez Learning Center December 15.
The year 2019 was a busy one for The Los Angeles Trust and its partners, and 2020 will be busier still. Thanks to its partners and stakeholders, last year The L.A. Trust:
Made final preparations for the launch of its ground-breaking Data xChange initiative, which will link confidential Wellness Center data with academic performance numbers to improve outcomes on both.
Supported LAUSD’s growing network of Student and Family Wellness Centers, helped dedicate new clinics at Santee Education Complex and other schools, and hosted two Learning Collaboratives where clinicians received critical data and best practices on student healthcare.
Provided oral health education and partnered with More L.A. Smiles to provide free dental screenings and interventions to thousands of kindergartners and third-graders at LAUSD elementary schools.
Supported anti-vaping and substance use education efforts across the District, assisting student outreach and hosting a Vaping 101 webinar series for clinicians and others.
Hosted a Youth2Youth Summit engaging 100 student health advocates and their adult allies from across the District.
Presented recipes, nutrition and food-shopping advice at more than 50 classroom and community events as part of the CalFresh Health Living initiative.
Worked with UCSF research staff on the development and delivery of the “Health-E You/Salud iTu,” an app-based contraception awareness program focused on Latina youth. The program resulted in a 117% increase in the use of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (results will be published in leading health journals this year).
Partnered with leading healthcare organizations and announced important new program grants, driving the organization’s mission through 2021.
Hired new staff, including Marsha Ellis as director of programs; Rob Wray as associate director of communications and media; Mackenzie Scott as student engagement coordinator; and Danielle Griffin as student engagement assistant.
2020 vision
“We had a great 2019,” said Executive Director Maryjane Puffer, “and we have laid the groundwork for a truly breakthrough year in 2020.”
She said The L.A. Trust has a new strategic plan, a new logo and a new mission statement: “Bridging the worlds of health and education to achieve student wellness.”
“We also have our first vision statement,” Puffer stated. “It’s ‘A world where every student is healthy and successful.’ We have always stood for this, but this is our northstar and it’s important to share it.”
Puffer said The L.A. Trust will reintroduce itself in the spring with a new website and a new awareness campaign. “The L.A. Trust believes nothing is more important to the future of our country than the health of our kids. In 2020, we will be better positioned than ever to help advance student health where it’s needed most.”
Kaiser grants $500,000 to The L.A. Trust for new solutions
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health has announced a two-year, $500,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente to provide healthcare programs, foster healthy habits and generate insights to improve student health in Los Angeles public schools.
A portion of the grant will underwrite an innovative new Data xChange initiative that will link healthcare and educational performance data to find ways to improve healthcare strategies and educational outcomes.
“This major grant will not only help us deliver on our promise of improving the health of the LAUSD communities we serve, it will give us the insights we need to design programs and services that connect better healthcare to improved educational performance,” said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of The L.A. Trust.
Kaiser fully committed
Will Grice
“At Kaiser Permanente we are committed to helping everyone in our communities achieve total health,” said Will Grice, senior vice president and area manager, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center.“That is why, through this grant, we’re proud to support The L.A. Trust in their efforts to increase access to oral health education, screenings and referrals for LAUSD students and their families, integrate healthy eating, active living programs into schools, and implement a system that measures the impact of health services on academic performance and attendance,” Grice said. “Together, we can work to reduce the disparity in access to quality health care in our communities.”
The mission of The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health is “to improve student health and increase readiness to learn through health care access, advocacy, and programs.” The independent 501c3 nonprofit organization supports 15 district-wide Wellness Centers and a variety of programs focused on preventative care, oral screenings and referrals, healthy living habits, mental health services and more.