Childcare Programs at Davis Street’s Jefferson Center

Nonprofit leader Rose Padilla Johnson is a resident of San Leandro, California. For close to 30 years, Rose Padilla Johnson has led San Leandro-based Davis Street Community Center, Incorporated, providing critical support services like affordable childcare to area residents.

Every day, many parents are kept out of the workforce because they cannot afford quality childcare. Davis Street operates four centers that provide reliable and affordable childcare, enabling parents to get back to the workforce guaranteed the safety of their loved ones. One of these centers is the Jefferson Center in San Leandro, between Bayfair Mall and Jefferson High School.

Jefferson Center is open to children aged 2.9 to 12 years. It is licensed to care for 86 children a day. Childcare services are subsidized and applications are accepted all year round. The center prides itself on offering quality, age-appropriate enrichment activities, some of which include books and homework clubs. These programs are offered in a linguistically and culturally sensitive manner by specialized staff. Breakfast and lunch are also available.

On top of caring for children, Jefferson Center engages families through supportive services at its Family Resource Center stationed a mile away. Support includes food, job training and placement, clothing, and free medical care.

Nutrition Classes Help Families with Low Incomes Prepare Healthy Meals

Since 1991, Rose Padilla Johnson has leveraged her experience in developing innovative social services to grow the Davis Street Community Center in San Leandro, California, into a central destination for local low-income residents and immigrant families. Among the many services the San Leandro-based organization provides under Rose Padilla Johnson’s direction, one is a series of Nutritional Cooking Classes that teach principles of healthy eating and food preparation.

Studies conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture and other authorities have highlighted an important point: when recipients of supplemental food access receive classes in nutrition, they tend to make healthier grocery purchasing choices. Thanks to the Davis Street Community Center program, class attendees have learned techniques of selecting and preparing budget-friendly, appetizing, and healthy meals.

The program takes place in Davis Street’s own Demonstration Kitchen, facilitated by a credentialed nutritionist. It draws on supplies donated by the center’s own food pantry, and participants learn how to stretch their dollars, and to select the most nutritious offerings from local food distribution centers. They also learn how to change their families’ lifestyles in order to support healthy practices and avoid or address malnutrition and obesity.

The classes have produced numerous success stories. One such case is a man with type-2 diabetes who lost 10 pounds after his spouse brought home new information from the classes. The man’s blood sugar levels also began to correct themselves as a result of his improved diet.