For nearly 29 years, Rose Padilla Johnson has spearheaded community-focused initiatives to support the most vulnerable residents of San Leandro. Since taking the helm at the Davis Street Community Center in San Leandro, Rose Padilla Johnson greatly expanded its programming to include healthcare services, practical support, and subsidized child care. High childcare costs are a leading reason why low-income parents are kept out of the workforce. Without affordable childcare, millions of parents cannot enter the workforce full-time or enroll in education programs that would increase their earning potential. Working parents may also have their pay reduced due to absences related to childcare. This affects the wider economy as lower-earning families have less purchasing power and are more likely to rely on government assistance to make ends meet. A reduced workforce also lowers the amount of taxes collected, which impacts how public services are funded. For this reason, subsidized or affordable childcare programs are considered an excellent investment. According to the Committee for Economic Development, for every dollar spent on child care, nearly four dollars are added to the state economy. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3ilix5Y
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Since taking the helm of the Davis Street Community Center in San Leandro, California, Rose Padilla Johnson has expanded the community organization to offer a plethora of social services. Under Rose Padilla Johnson’s direction, Davis Street now features an industrial kitchen set up to host nutritional cooking classes. These classes are led by an experienced nutritionist who educates clients on how to create meal plans that are beneficial for their health. Healthy nutrition is essential for individuals with chronic diseases. Eating a typical western diet based on high-fat, high-sugar processed foods can both cause and exacerbate many conditions, including diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Further, consuming too many calories a day through sugary beverages and simple carbohydrates can lead to excessive weight gain. Obesity can complicate many chronic illnesses and make treatments less effective. Diet is also important for effective adherence to medical care. Many chronic or serious conditions, including HIV and cancer, include treatments that can cause gastrointestinal problems. Eating healthy, nutrient-dense food can help the body absorb the drug’s active ingredients and reduce side effects such as nausea. via WordPress https://ift.tt/35XUOX9 As a reflection of her dedication to helping vulnerable individuals and families in the San Leandro area, nonprofit leader Rose Padilla Johnson has received several honors, including the Global Citizen Award from the United Nations and the Woman of Distinction award from the San Francisco Business Times. Since 1991, Rose Padilla Johnson has served as CEO of the Davis Street Community Center in San Leandro. The center is a one-stop resource hub for low-cost childcare, family services, and accessible routine health care such as dental screenings. Despite the growing awareness of the link between oral health and overall health, millions of children from disadvantaged households still do not have access to routine dental care. Figures from the Centers for Disease Control show that up to a quarter of children with lower socioeconomic status have untreated tooth decay. In the early stages, cavities and other types of tooth decay can be painful and prone to infections. If left untreated, bacteria from the decayed tooth can enter the bloodstream and cause a widespread infection. Tooth decay can also cause problems with chewing and affect nutrition. Access to routine dental cleanings can prevent a dangerous buildup of plaque, and dentists can also treat more serious tooth infections before they worsen, preserving teeth and the health of the patient. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3cd3SIC San Leandro resident Rose Padilla Johnson is the CEO of Davis Street Community Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in San Leandro. She has spent her entire career helping families with low income in Alameda and across the Bay area. A community-centered individual, Rose Padilla Johnson fulfilled her dream of a “one-stop-shop” human service center. Davis Street Community Center offers several services, including food, medical and dental, clothing, housing, mental health, and childcare, to around 20,000 people annually. In California, childcare service providers are gravely feeling the pandemic’s impact. Deemed an essential service, day-care centers have stayed open despite the lockdown. However, enrollment has reduced and, as a result, income, as well. With no funds coming in, essential supplies and resources have also dwindled. Toilet papers, paper towels, disinfectants, and sanitizers are in short supply across childcare centers still open in California. As such, keeping these centers running has become an arduous task. It has also become difficult for childcare workers in California to cater for their families with little or no income coming in from their jobs. The coronavirus pandemic has shown that the childcare system is an important part of the economy. More has to be done to provide resources and finances to keep them afloat during these trying times. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3kql28M Non-profit visionary Rose Padilla Johnson serves at the helm of Davis Street Community Center, Incorporated, growing it into one of the preeminent organizations in San Leandro, California. Beyond Davis Street, Rose Padilla Johnson was president of the San Leandro Rotary Club from 2005-2006. It is through the club that she got involved with Faces of Hope, a project in Guatemala that provides cleft lip and palate surgeries to children from underserved villages. Faces of Hope has completed many surgeries since it was established. One of the beneficiaries of these surgeries was Lester. Lester was born with bilateral cleft lip. He was abandoned in hospital months after birth and was so malnourished, the doctors and nurses thought he would die. However, they did not give up on him and Lester somehow pushed through, reaching normal weight. Unfortunately, Lester fell sick and lost all the weight he had gained. This weight loss further complicated his illness, causing derrame pulmonas characterized by a collection of liquid in the lungs. Doctors and nurses again questioned whether he would survive. Somehow, Lester pushed through once more. One year later, when he was healthy enough to have surgery, one of his nurses, Lilind, reached out to Companeros en Salud in Antigua, seeking to have Lester accepted for cleft lip surgery. Companeros en Salud is a Faces of Hope partner where the surgeries are performed. Once Lester made the list, the doctors and nurses who had cared for him all along raised funds to cover his travel and food expenses. Lilind escorted him to the center in Antigua where Lester underwent surgery to correct his bilateral cleft lip. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3bXghAc Recognized by former San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy for her decades of work in the community, Rose Padilla Johnson is dedicated to helping the city’s most vulnerable residents. As the head of the Davis Street Community Center, Rose Padilla Johnson delivers community-focused programming that improves the health and well-being of people residing in San Leandro. In 2019, the center began a partnership with the Stepping Stones program, which has operated in the city for more than 45 years. The Stepping Stones program provides wellness and life skills activities for adults with developmental disabilities. Program participants can access support services for securing or maintaining their independence. The Independent Living Services program teaches participants the essential life skills for maintaining one’s independence, including budgeting, self-care tasks, and navigating public transit. Stepping Stones staff also help connect participants to housing resources such as the Section 8 federally subsidized housing program. Stepping Stones also offers employment training, helping participants secure their first job. Participants can also attend wellness programs offering art therapy and social activities. via WordPress https://ift.tt/3m4895T |
AuthorRose Padilla Johnson - CEO of San Leandro-Based Community Center. Archives
October 2023
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