In an effort to make the transition from youth to adulthood as seamless as possible, CHAA has established itself as the Health and Wellness anchor at the RYSE Center in Richmond. In addition to housing CHAA’s counseling services, RYSE offers educational and creative programming for youth aged 14-24.

While many may associate counseling with crisis, CHAA encourages RYSE members to utilize their services anytime they feel the need to talk.

“Some may want to discuss improving grades, escaping an abusive environment, or just share a longing to make a lifestyle change,” said Morgan Lloyd, Lead RYSE Wellness Counselor. “Regardless of the subject matter, counselors are always present to provide support in a safe and confidential atmosphere.”

One of CHAA’s flagship programs at RYSE features overall wellness plans that help students identify and achieve the life they desire.

The plans, according to Lloyd, revolve around a ‘wellness wheel’ in which clients rate how content they are with various areas of their lives on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the happiest. Areas of focus include family, school, career, personal relationships, and fitness, among others.

After rating their satisfaction, the client chooses a life area he or she would like to most improve and — with feedback from the counselor — formulates a plan to address it. A few months later, the client meets again with a CHAA counselor to check in on progress and tweak the plan if necessary.

One great thing about wellness plans is that clients can achieve their goals through CHAA’s collaborations and partnerships with community organizations, Lloyd said.

“If one person is concerned about physical fitness, we can connect them with the Aikido, dance, and yoga classes at RYSE, or with membership at the YMCA,” Lloyd said. “If another is concerned about sexual health, we can put them in touch with Planned Parenthood.”

Lloyd encourages all RYSE members to give the plans a try.

“The wellness plans aren’t mandatory, and they certainly don’t mean that you’ve been bad,” Lloyd said. “They have turned out to be pretty popular, and students value that highly personalized time. So far there’s been nothing but positive feedback.”

In order to ensure the highest possible rate of U.S. Census participation, CHAA is engaging and informing youth and Asian Pacific Islander communities about the importance of the nationwide project.

CHAA encourages widespread community participation in the census project as the data help communities receive more than $400 billion in annual federal funding for schools, hospitals, job training centers, senior centers, bridges, tunnels, roads and emergency services. In addition, more than $26 billion is allocated for educational services and programs focused on children.

Occurring only once every decade, the census is an official count of the population that provides politicians and lawmakers with valuable economic, demographic and social information.

“Our country doesn’t function well without an updated census to distribute funds to areas that most need them, support community decisions about their own futures,”
stated Bob Groves, Director of the U.S. Census Bureau. “It’s easy, it’s safe, and it’s important.”

Consisting of 10 questions and taking less than 10 minutes to complete, the Census aims to count all U.S. residents, citizens and non-citizens alike. The census does not ask about the legal status of respondents or their Social Security numbers.

Census forms are available in six languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Korean, Russian and Vietnamese. In addition, Language Assistance Guides are available in 59 different languages to help participants fill out the English version of the census form.

After completing the questions, residents are required by law to return the form by mail. Citizens who don’t return the form may be visited by a census taker, a member of the community who will record their answers to the questions on the form. The census taker is hired by the Census Bureau to make sure that each neighborhood gets represented as accurately as possible.

All answers are confidential, as all Census Bureau workers take an oath of nondisclosure to protect the confidentiality of the data.

For more information, visit the U.S. Census website.

Oakland’s current participation rate is shown below:

Members of the Southeast Young Leaders (SEAYL) program started a personalized photo documentary project this month. Entitled “Photovoice,” the project consists capturing healthy and unhealthy areas of the community on camera, followed by group discussion, analysis, and presentation to family, friends, lawmakers, and residents.

While Photovoice still in its early stages, SEAYL staff member Adel Hazan has so far been encouraged by the results.

“We’ve only completed one outing so far in the community, but I’m really impressed with the photos taken, both in terms of the content and composition,” Hazan said. “I’m excited to see what will come of the next few trips as well as the follow-up conversations, analysis, and exhibitions.”

Images captured in the first trip include billboards and window signs advertising blunt wraps and cigarettes, often located right next to soda and candy, according to Hazan.

“The participants weren’t only mindful of the high density and strategic locations of liquor and smoke shops in certain Richmond areas, but they also noticed the stark contrasts of clean streets and the lack of similar advertising in Point Richmond,” Hazan said.

Sang Saephan, SEAYL Tobacco Prevention Coordinator, sees the project as an effective way to get youth thinking about what makes a community healthy.

“Not only are the youth learning through this project, but in the process, they’re teaching others as well,” Saephan said. “By writing and presenting these accounts to politicians and other members of the city council, they have the power to affect policy changes.”

Saephan said that while Richmond has a comparatively decent tobacco policy, it has rarely been enforced. He hopes that this program will alert community leaders to the importance of enforcement, as well as prompting nearby towns and cities to rethink their policies as well.

“These kids are trying to affect change in the community, and I can see that happening after the completed project is presented to the public,” Saephan said. “By showing it at a conference, in an art gallery, or as a music video with pictures, they can make the issue relevant to any audience.”

The final project is expected to debut in summer of this year.