California Senior Leaders and Healthy Aging Project

California Senior Leaders Program, 2007

About the Project

Acknowledgements

California's 2007 Senior Leaders

2007 Senior Leaders in Action

Networking

Awards

Peer Mentors

Speakers & Trainers

Students

This project is supported by a grant from
The California Wellness Foundation
and co-sponsored by the
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley

California's Senior Leaders
Working with Youth and Families, 2007

One of the great gifts that seniors share with their communities is their wisdom, perspective, and experience to make the world a better place for youth and families. And these next awardees – Al Delano Miller, Grace Pacheco, Peggy Woodruff, and Ernestine Woods – are being honored in part for their outstanding contributions to young people and to families. Their work takes many forms, but has in common a concern with teaching and role modeling, sharing cultural knowledge, building self esteem, and improving the health and quality of life of our California’s diverse communities of children, parents and grandparents.

	Al Delano Miller Since moving with his family to Oakland’s Sobrante Park in 1958, Al Delano Miller has been a huge contributor to the health and wellbeing of families and youth in his community. He is the chair of the Oakland Community Organization, which takes complaints and suggestions for improving the neighborhood and puts them into practice, getting better street lighting, community gardening, and other projects. Mr. Miller is also an active member of the Sobrante Park Resident Action Council, and the Time Bank, a strength-based approach to helping neighbors serve each other and receive services they need in exchange. A Deacon at the Community Reformed Church, he is also extremely active with the church food bank and other programs. But Mr. Miller is particularly committed to improving the lives of his community’s youth, whether through boy scouting, serving on the Board of the Street Academy High School, helping design Aviation High which opened last year, or just making the church steps a comfortable and welcoming after school hang out for kids. His nominator called Mr. Miller an “unsung hero of Oakland,” and we are delighted to sing his praises now as he becomes one of this year’s California Senior Leaders.
	Grace Pacheco For many years, Grace Pacheco has been a much loved leader with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians, and in the words of her nominator and fellow tribal leader, “There’s not a person in this community who doesn’t feel deep love for Gracie.” Politically active since before the houses were built, Ms. Pacheco today serves on the Elders Committee and the health clinics committee, among others. And she is deeply valued for her work with the community’s children. She takes the youth on trips, volunteers with the after school programs, and teaches them the tribal ways, and in so doing she plays a pivotal role in passing her culture on to the next generation. As Mrs. Pacheco told us, “I have always participated in programs for the Children and the Elders on the Reservation. I believe they go hand in hand. We can learn from the children and they can learn something from us.” Mrs. Pacheco’s commitment to building intergenerational ties, to teaching the young, and to learning from and respecting them, is what moved us to honor her as a California Senior Leader.
	Peggy Woodruff Over 5% of American children, and almost 14% of African American children, are being raised by grandparents and other relatives. And Ms. Peggy Woodruff is a real leader of the movement to support and honor grandparent caregivers. As leader of the local Grandparents Coalition, she organized a conference in Oakland last year attended by over 200 grandparents raising grandchildren, who looked at the economic and health issues they face. She also coordinates human service agencies serving these grandparents in the local Latino and African American communities. In addition to her advocacy and coalition building on behalf of grandparent headed households, Ms. Woodruff is an AARP Community Action Volunteer helping develop a grassroots based agenda that will better represent elders of color. Finally, Ms. Woodruff directs the youth branch of the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California, presenting techniques to “find one’s roots” to all of the high schools in Northern California. We honor Ms. Woodruff for her commitment to improving the quality of life of family members young and old.
	Ernestine Woods After years of working as a registered nurse, Ernestine Woods spends her retirement continuing to work on improving the health of the people of Merced. A long-time and active board member for the Golden Valley Health Centers, the largest rural health clinic system in the county, she is helping them design a Senior Health and Wellness Program. She values her role in this project, recognizing the different issues related to older adult health that are sometimes overlooked by the younger generation. As secretary of this board, she has also been instrumental in helping the Health Centers deliver culturally appropriate services to Latino families and other underserved populations in the county. Ms Woods also serves on the Mercy Medical Center Advisory Board, and is an active member of both the NAACP and the National Council of Negro Women. A consistent and strong voice for high quality health care, education, and economic opportunity for the families of Merced County, Ms. Woods also volunteers with Healthy House, using colorful window displays to educate the community about the diverse cultures of the families of Merced. She is truly a gem of this rural but culturally rich part of our state.

Questions about the project should be directed to Meredith Minkler: mink@berkeley.edu or Marty Martinson: martym@berkeley.edu Photos by Marty Martinson & Diane Driver This WEB site developed and maintained by ddriver@berkeley.edu. Please contact the developer for questions/problems with the site.