Committed to inspiring change from the community
REAL is dedicated to educating the community about the health effects of tobacco and the importance of smoke-free multi-unit housing and outdoor spaces.
Our Mission
The Rural Empowerment, Advocacy, and Leadership (REAL) Project is administered by the California Health Collaborative and focuses on the City of Atwater in Merced County. The focus of the project is to address tobacco-related health inequities among rural community members. This will primarily be achieved through the project’s policy campaign that seeks to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke for tenants living in multi-unit housing (MUH) complexes. Strategies to meet this objective include 1) recruitment and empowerment of Atwater community members and community leaders, 2) policy education with local advocates and decision-makers, and 3) coordination and collaboration with the Merced County Local Lead Agency and other tobacco prevention projects in the county. The project will encourage the participation and support of local advocates and stakeholders in the statewide tobacco endgame movement.
Empowering the Atwater Community
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We aim to establish collaborations within the community. These collaborators will be provided with training and resources to better serve the community and proactively prevent damage that tobacco causes by targeting rural communities.
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In the hopes of creating a healthier environment, we hope to have the City of Atwater adopt stronger policies concerning tobacco. Our goal is to expand smoke-free multi-unit housing to create safer and healthier environments for all who live in Atwater as well as reduce exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke.
Goals
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