More than 200 women facing homelessness and
extreme poverty gathered on Friday, May 18th in Elysian Park to participate in Women’s
Day in the Park, providing them with tools to improve their physical and mental
health. Activities included health screenings, dance workshops, yoga classes and
a fashion show. The event was part of National
Women’s Health Week, an observance coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health, and was sponsored by the Downtown
Women’s Center (DWC) which provides permanent housing and supportive services
to 4300 homeless women in LA’s Skid Row annually.
AT&T Wireless has equipped DWC with
technology to conduct health assessments at the park and enroll women into
wellness programs. The technology – including data collecting and tracking ability,
wireless service, and iPads - will allow
more women in need to easily enroll in health programs and measure their results,
such as nutrition intake and BMI calculations. Additionally, data can be aggregated
to measure the program’s success.
Other sponsors included Los Angeles Community
Action Network (LACAN), and the Legal
Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA). Participating agencies include Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF),
Healthy Way LA, JWCH, League of Women Voters, and more.
