Partnering with Local Merchants to Improve Food Access

in West Contra Costa County

Communities of Excellence

The Communities of Excellence in Nutrition,

Physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention (CX3)

project takes a look at select low-income

neighborhoods* in Contra Costa County to

measure the nutrition environment and identify

opportunities for improvement. CX3 was designed

by the California Department of Public Health’s

Network for a Health California.

•Neighborhoods with 50% or more residents at

< 185% of the federal poverty level

Richmond Neighborhoods

23rd Street CorridorIron Triangle

North Richmond

Partnering to Map the Neighborhoods

Contra Costa Health Services, in partnership with the

West County HEAL Project, Opportunity West and

Eco-Village, collected and analyzed local data from

April 2007 to April 2008 in three steps:

1. Geographic Information System website

2. Field surveys of neighborhood stores

3. Standardized scoring system developed by CX3

West County Youth

CCHS trained14 youth to conduct the surveys

Key Neighborhood FindingsOur neighborhoods are out-of-balance

from a nutrition and health perspective

• Characterized by limited access to affordable, healthy foods

• Iron Triangle - small stores, healthy staple items but little produce

• 23rd Street - good produce but expensive. Fewer healthy staple items

• North Richmond - very little that is healthy

23rd Street

23rd Street Corridor

What We Did

• Identified stores on 23rd Street

El Campesino

El Chalateco

Discolandia

Built Relationships with Market Owners

• Benefits of being WIC vendors

• Economic viability

• Creating healthy neighborhoods

• Network incentives

Partners Assisted Market Owners

• Identify items needed on shelves to be WIC vendors

• Complete WIC applications

SUCCESS! 3 NEW WIC Vendors

• 2 markets in SNAP-eligible census tracts

• 1 market across the street

• 1 market in SNAP-eligible census tract will re-apply

Technical Support

CCHS and partners provide frequent technical assistance

• Site visits to discuss problems

• Face time/on-going relationship building

• Collaboration with Network’s Latino and Regional Retail campaigns

Feedback from Market Owners

• WIC clients are increasing

• More customers, more sales

• Community benefits

• Markets feel new sense of responsibility to community

Why We Succeeded

• Targeted manageable number of stores

• Collaborated with partners to cover more area

• Provided frequent and dedicated support to markets

What’s Next

• Continued support to markets

• Identify new markets for conversion

• CX3 in 2012

• Census Tracts

This material was funded by USDA’s Food Stamp Program through the California Department of

Public Health’s Network for a Healthy California. Contra Costa Health Services provided

additional funding. These institutions are equal opportunity providers and employers. The Food

Stamp Program provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help buy

nutritious food for a better diet. For information of the Food Stamp Program, call 1-888-328-

3483.