About Us
Executive Summary
Since 1993, A World Fit For Kids! (WFIT) has responded to our community's needs through our exemplary healthy behaviors and personal empowerment programming and trainings in low-income neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The result is a triple bottom line for the young people we serve: obesity reduction, increased graduation rates, and work readiness/jobs. In recognition of our outstanding outcomes for kids, WFIT was awarded the Gold Medal from the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports as the most outstanding non-profit organization "positively impacting the physical activity, fitness and well-being of California's children and youth."
Two of WFIT's program sites, Norwood Elementary and Frank del Olmo Elementary Schools have also been certified as Healthy Behaviors Learning Centers to Fight Childhood Obesity and Hunger by the CA Department of Public Health and the Center for Collaborative Solutions. Our programs are intentionally designed to promote personal development principles and healthy behaviors practices among all stakeholders by integrating physical activity and nutrition education both in and out of school.
In addition to reducing obesity, increasing graduation rates, and enhancing work readiness, our programs promote physical, mental and emotional wellness of students and keeps them engaged in positive, quality activities that allow them to succeed in school and in life. Our students are becoming better decision makers and are attending school more regularly, earning better grades and scoring higher on standardized tests. They're staying physically active and making healthier decisions that last a lifetime.
Since our inception, WFIT has brought nearly $20 million into our local, underserved communities. Moreover, we've provided life-changing opportunities for nearly 200,000 children and their families, with nearly all of them coming from economically disadvantaged homes. In an area where the unemployment rate is disproportionately high, we've provided jobs for more than 1,500 local community residents. We pride ourselves in hiring a diverse group of underserved people, including those who are entering the workforce for the first time, teens, college students looking for part-time positions, retirees and individuals who might otherwise be out of work given the current economic environment.
By offering our afterschool programs free of charge, we save parents approximately $6,500 in childcare costs every year and make it possible for many single parents, especially women, to enter and remain in the workforce and help rebuild the economy. Additionally, the savings in childcare costs makes a real difference for two-parent working families who are struggling to make financial ends meet.
Our program isn't just changing lives by providing much needed services to people of all ages in the communities we serve, it's saving lives by addressing the issue of childhood obesity — the most common and costly medical condition facing our country today. Without this kind of intervention, one in every three children will acquire Type 2 diabetes and be faced with possible physical and emotional disabilities and/or premature death. We've taken this threat seriously. Through our programs, trainings and the opportunities we offer, children and the adults who work with them are developing healthier eating habits and becoming more physically active and fit. In the long-run, this will save California and the nation countless dollars. With data clearly demonstrating that every $1 spent on prevention strategies yields us a savings of more than $5 in healthcare costs, one of the smartest investments we can make is to direct our limited dollars into programs that really work.
Given the current economic conditions, legislators are required to make tough decisions this year more than ever before, and those decisions will directly affect the future of our children. We want to be sure elected officials are aware of the financial benefits, cost savings and impact that their decisions have on our children and families - to ensure they are healthy and successful... WFIT helps make that happen!
To download a PDF of the Executive Summary, click here.
Donate
Your tax-deductible donations to WFIT, a 501(c)3 organization, help make positive change possible!
 |