Norton Neighborhoods

Kelsey, an Occupational Therapy student at Loma Linda University’s School of Allied Health Professions, and her classmate Audrey (not pictured) help out with Children’s Learning Gardens on Wednesdays.  On this occasion the boys picked the carrots they planted in the garden weeks earlier.

Students like Nicolas, left, earn $10 weekly in the Job Scouts Incentives and Awards program when they have a good attendance record at school, attend our mentoring sessions on Sunday or Monday, and do 90 minutes of neighborhood service.  Here Nic, along with Vladimir Serrano, Program Coordinator for LLUMC Community Benefit Dept., remove trash and weeds along Benedict Ave, not far from Nic’s home.

Recruiting posters like this one, with tear off cards containing contact information, now grace the bulletin boards at local Starbucks’ stores and in other area businesses.  The complete poster includes the additional information that Star Kids Mentoring is part of LLU’s Healthy Neighborhood Program and CKC Mentoring as well as the Excell Mentoring Program of Loma Linda University Church.

The LLUMC after-school site in southeastern San Bernardino, about two miles from the Medical Center, now includes (17) a basketball court covered with “snap-court” tiles (see http://www.snapsports.com/residentialOutdoor.html) and (18) a fitness playground from Project Fit America. (http://projectfitamerica.org/)

Vladimir Serrano (left), LLUMC Community Benefit Program Coordinator, and Ron Graybill (3rd from left), Director of LLUMC’s Community Benefit Department, work with two neighborhood youth who are both also San Gorgonio High School students to clean up an empty lot in the neighborhood.  The activity is part of the Job Scouts Program, where youth who come to mentoring get to earn $10 in neighborhood service later in the week.

On the first Satuday of every month, Pediatric Residents lead out in the CORE program (see caption below).

Pediatric Residents from LLU School of Medicine lead out in the CORE program the first Saturday of every month at 8:30 am at Norton Gardens.  The program includes stories, games, a health Campfire Breakfast, and health talks for adults and children.

Professor Katherine Knecht from LLU’s School of Pharmacy introduces young people to the violin and teaches some children’s songs at a recent Saturday morning Campfire Breakfast, which meets at 8:30 am on Saturday mornings. Dr. Knecht and her students are also leading out in a music program at the SACHS Norton Clinic as part of LLU’s Healthy Neighborhoods Mentoring program. Looking on is Pediatric Resident Lori Warzecki who, the month before, had taught nutrition to elementary children around this same table during the weekly Children’s Learning Garden program.  For Dr. Warzecki, the service was part of her Community Pediatrics Rotation under the School of Medicine’s OK Kids Program.

Dr. Graybill (left) and Mentors Nina and Amber (in sunglasses) enjoy a day at the beach with the “proteges” in the Norton Neighborhoods Star Kids Mentoring Program.  Nina and Amber are both Physicians Assistant students at Loma Linda University who, along with several classmates, mentor these young people on Sunday mornings at 9:30 on Starbucks Patio across from the San Bernardino Costco on Hospitality Lane.

Junior, Alvaro, and Vladimir enjoy a little beach soccer during the Laguna Beach field trip in Sept. 2008.