In the past six years, Avenal residents have only increased their petitions for a facility citing the urgent need to improve their health factors. In 2020, Kings County ranked 55 out of 58 California counties in health factors – defined as health behaviors, clinical care, the physical environment and social and economic factors – which demonstrates that our residents generally have fewer opportunities to improve their health outcomes than those in other counties. Over 24% of adults in this area have a BMI greater than 30 (compared to 22.5% statewide), and 33% of the Medicare population here has diabetes (compared to 25.3% statewide). This has only been exacerbated with the spread of COVID-19, which has disproportionately affected poorer communities, those with existing chronic diseases and the Hispanic and Latino population.
In 2016, the City of Avenal embarked on a three-phase project to launch the Avenal Community Center, a 34,000 square-foot facility that will include a basketball court, indoor soccer field, fitness room, kitchen learning space, banquet hall and office spaces for local sports groups. The first phase of this project was funded in 2016 through a $2.4 million Community Development Block Grant for design and construction.
Phase I was completed in December of 2020, and currently, the City is on track to complete construction and open December, 2025.