West Sacramento Accountable Communities for Health Initiative (ACH)
Leveraging the power of relationships to create systematic change to support health and well-being
The West Sacramento Accountable Community for Health Initiative (W-SACHI) is a multi-sector alliance of health, local government, education, businesses, community-based organizations, and residents dedicated to the promotion of health and well-being in West Sacramento.
The Health Education Council serves as the backbone convener working to align systems and resources through an equity lens. The ACH originally focused on reducing the high rates of cardiovascular disease in West Sacramento prioritizing upstream root causes including access to healthy food, physical activity and social connectedness. After the pandemic hit, the ACH swiftly pivoted to provide COVID-19 information, access to testing and vaccines, and food insecurity.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Convened a diverse multi-sector collaborative including local government, elected officials
- Established a shared vision and core values
- Increased investments in West Sacramento to support health and well being
- Collaborated on the COVID 19 response serving as early lines of communication to identify priority neighborhoods and mobilize resources
- Engaged residents that identified over 200 community assets and disseminated resident grants during the pandemic
- Supported the passage of a city-wide flavored tobacco ban
- Committed to a set of interventions to address priority focus areas
Resident Mini Grants
In Fall 2020, the West Sacramento ACH invited residents of West Sacramento to apply for a mini grant of $250 to $500 to address community needs that were further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ACH funded West Sacramento community members or small teams of community members to carry out local solutions that addressed priority areas; increasing access to healthy food, decreasing social isolation and improving mental well-being, and increasing walkability/physical activity. The West Sac ACH worked with Hillcrest Advisory Group to interview three mini grant recipients and captured their stories and experiences navigating the pandemic.
