Prepared with this new knowledge of health issues and commitment to creating change in schools, community leaders set out in the neighborhood to recruit parents interested in speaking up for school wellness. What they found was that for many parents, wellness advocacy did not attract a great deal of interest. They garnered more interest by discussing the issue through the framework of social justice and found that the most effective way to engage parents was to give them the opportunity to see the benefits of healthy lifestyles firsthand.

With this in mind, they set about the work of creating opportunities for adults to experience healthy eating and physical activity. Leaders in Little Village kicked off the now-renowned nutrition class and leaders in West Town began to offer aerobics and dance lessons. They began gardening clubs, walking clubs, cooking clubs and informal support networks.

At the same time, project organizers and parent leaders began investigating the resources in and challenges facing the community. In Little Village, they uncovered previously unrealized resources such as neighbors with a wealth of agricultural skills and free gardening supplies from the city. Research also revealed barriers to healthy eating within the community, such as produce shelves at the local market stocked only with a few old, shriveled pieces of fruit. Rather than simply telling parents about these limitations, project leaders engaged parents to survey neighborhood food stores and report back on findings—in this case a lack of access to fresh produce. This model led to an increase in shared information and greater parent engagement.

Parents also worked with their children to complete assisted food diaries, reporting what children ate during the school day. The diaries raised parents awareness of the types of food available to children at school and increased their interest in advocating for more fresh, healthy food.

In West Town, research uncovered changing neighborhood demographics and a serious need for health care geared toward preventing disease and sharing information about healthy lifestyles. As a result, organizers shifted the boundaries of their organization’s focus area and identified an appropriate school for placement of a school-based health clinic focused on prevention.