Pdub Productions Video Screening and Jeepney Tours Fri. August 13
Join Us on Friday, August 13th, 2010
MOBILE HI FI JEEPNEY TOURS: 6:00 and 7:00 pm
Suggested donation $10. Seating is limited.
To rsvp please contact smayo@pwcsc.org.
VIDEO SCREENING: 8:00pm FREE!
Venue: Pilipino Workers’ Center (PWC)
153 Glendale Blvd. (at corner of Rockwood)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
http://www.pwcsc.org
213.250.4353
The Pilipino Workers’ Center (PWC) and Public Matters present media-based works from their CCH-funded project, MOBILE HI FI. Tour Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown in the world’s only mobile media jeepney, PWC’s own original 1944 Sarao Motors Jeep Willy. Travel through time and experience the neighborhood via a combination jeepney ride + walking tour that features stories of residents and immigrants from 1898 to the present from our Mobile HI FI Immigrants’ Guides. Cap off the evening with a twilight screening of the latest PDUB videos. The program features The PDUB Harana Project, a musical collaboration with elders from the Silver Lake Adult Day Health Care Center about the art of the serenade; the instructional comedy How to Survive a Filipino House Party; the over-the-top cross-cultural mash-up HI FI Telenovela; and a contemporary Harana Music Video shot around Historic Filipinotown.
PUBLIC MATTERS NOMINATED FOR 2010 GRANT FOR CHANGE
The team at Public Matters is happy to announce that we have been nominated for the Nau Clothing Company 2010 Grant for Change. For those of you who are not familiar with the company, Nau is a clothing company based in Portland, Oregon that designs sustainable urban and outdoor apparel. Every year a grant is given to the top organization or company working for change. This year we were one of the first nominees, but the competition is fierce! We need all the help we can get, and it would be a pleasure to receive votes from all of our readers. Before you vote, we want to be sure to add that these funds will be invested in our Market Makeovers project which some of you may be familiar with; also, we want to thank everyone for all their support. Please click the link, and VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!
ECOLOCALIZER EXPLORES HOW PUBLIC MATTERS IS GREENING FOOD DESERTS
Rhonda Winter talks about Public Matters in her Ecolocalizer blog! Ecolocalizer examines issues pertaining to sustainability and political change, particularly from the perspective of local participatory action. Read her entry on how Public Matters is working to develop sustainable changes with local communities in the Los Angeles area.
SUSTAINABLE SUNDAYS
Public Matters had a busy week! We are happy to say that we had a pleasant weekend at the Natural History Museum’s “Sustainable Sundays.” During our time there, we discussed the Market Makeovers project with museum visitors; also, Public Matters was joined by South LA HEAC Youth Ambassador, Magali Bravo, and former South LA HEAC Youth Coordinator, Sharlene Gozalians, who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Health at Loma Linda University.
PDUB HARANA PROJECT ON EXPERIENCE TALKS
Today, KPFK’s radio show, Experience Talks, hosted by Connie Corley, aired an interview about the PDUB Harana Project. Public Matters Creative Director, Reanne Estrada, PDUB student, Xochilt Sanchez, Silver Lake Adult Day Health Care Center Program Director, Mila Anguluan-Coger, and Harana Mentor, Pedro Estrada, discussed how community members are working to reshape the way people experience the constant differentiation of the space and time they share.
IS PUBLIC MATTERS EMERGING INTO THE REALM OF CITY/CULTURE?
Nature/culture has a new partner! Next American City’s electric new column, City/Culture, explores the imploding worlds of public art and community development. Jeremy Rosenberg, the author of the column, is working on a piece about Public Matters, so make sure to visit him and tell us what you think.
IT’S SHOWTIME: THE PDUB HARANA PERFORMANCE
On Saturday, March 27th, 2010, the Silver Lake Adult Day Health Care Center on Temple Street was filled with the romantic melodies of the traditional Filipino haranas or serenades. PDUB Youth and Elders from The Silver Lake Adult Day Health Care Center, dressed in traditional Filipino finery, put on a spirited performance for “Celebrating Our Ancestral Tree,” a benefit for the Center for Babaylan Studies organized by Mila Anguluan-Coger.
Smile! It’s PDUB Harana Portrait Day!
Public Matters intern + photographer extraordinaire Ingrid Cruz dropped by to shoot our haranistas during the dress rehearsal for the March 27th performance.
PDUB Harana Workshops
Every Tuesday and Thursday, our haranistas (experienced and budding) met at the Silver Lake Adult Day Health Care Center. Here they are hard at work, learning and rehearsing haranas and exchanging stories.
Public Matters Starts A New Market Makeover Project in East L.A.
Recently we started working on a new Market Makeovers project in East Los Angeles. East L.A. is a classic food desert. The prevalence of childhood obesity in East L.A. is 32.2%, among the highest in L.A. County. According to the L.A. County Department of Public Health, it has the County’s highest diabetes rates. In East L.A., the common venue for food purchasing is the corner store.
Working with our community partner LA CAUSA YouthBuild, the Office of L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina, and market makeover expert Nathan Cheng, we aim to improve nutrition and reduce obesity in East L.A. by increasing the availability and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in this under-served area. Market makeovers are a practical, homegrown solution to healthy food access in communities like East L.A. with few existing sources of fresh foods and fewer prospects for comprehensive grocery store development. Building on existing business infrastructure, customers, and community resources, this intervention strategy transforms local markets from chronic public health nuisance into neighborhood asset.
Two markets will be transformed in the Maravilla area of historic East L.A. Public Matters will lead education and social marketing efforts, training LA CAUSA youth as community health advocates.
We will implement a comprehensive strategy that includes:
- interior and exterior store renovation;
- storeowner training;
- business development;
- social marketing;
- education around healthy food behaviors;
- green jobs development and the use of energy efficiencies in market makeovers;
- workshops to train LA CAUSA youth in social marketing, health, nutrition, leadership and market makeover practices.
The market makeovers will serve as role models for profitable and thereby sustainable, healthy food retail in East L.A.
