Who makes the LAUSD Healthy Schools Campaign a success?

When volunteer mentor Leon Scales first started working on SOSMentor’s LAUSD Healthy Schools Campaign, he was shocked to learn how unhealthy some of the kids’ diets were. Some had never eaten salad before; others had never heard of brown rice.

Leon is proud to be part of a program that is turning these trends around. In fact, the students are not only learning about the importance of whole grains, colorful fruits and vegetables, and physical activity…they have even become teachers themselves. The students Leon teaches at Santee Education Complex and Belmont High School have been passing the information on to their parents, younger siblings, and friends.

Every week, volunteer mentors like Leon and school nurses like Vickie Beckwith dedicate one hour to improving the health and livelihoods of LAUSD’s youth. Nurse Vickie’s enthusiasm for the program inspired her to take on two classes at Venice High School. Her ability to relay the information in an interesting, engaging way is what makes her class such a success.

Allissa Johnson, another mentor at Belmont High School, has seen the benefits of healthy eating in her own life and is passionate about sharing these lessons with the kids. She is motivated by the fact that her volunteer work brings long-lasting benefits to their lives.

Thanks to the generosity and dedication of people like Leon, Vickie, and Allissa, SOSMentor is able to confront childhood obesity head-on – and make a real difference, one child at a time.