Pixley , California ( CNN ) -- In `` the nation 's salad bowl , '' as California 's Central Valley is often called , fresh produce grows in abundance . But for many area residents , healthy food is out of reach . `` Here we are in this agriculturally rich area and yet people who live here and work here are hungry , are impoverished , '' said Sarah Ramirez , an educator who grew up in the area . `` ( Some ) are working in the fields that feed the entire country and then they do n't have the resources to support them and their health . It 's heartbreaking . '' For the last two years , Ramirez has been on a mission to build a healthier community in her impoverished hometown of Pixley . She and her husband launched Be Healthy Tulare , a grass-roots movement to collect produce that would otherwise go to waste and get it to neighbors in need . The group is named for the county where Pixley is located . `` Looking outside and seeing trees just loaded with fruit , I was just feeling like , why are n't we connecting these pieces ? '' Ramirez said . Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open for 2014 CNN Heroes . Twice a month , Ramirez and volunteers gather fruit and vegetables from farms and backyard trees . They glean from growers and residents who contact them about their excess produce . The group then provides the bounty to a local food bank that distributes it to families in need . So far this year , Ramirez said , she and her group have collected and donated 20,000 pounds of produce . Connecting the dots . Growing up the daughter of farm workers , Ramirez watched her family 's health suffer . `` In my own family I have witnessed young family members die of preventable diseases , '' she said . While she was attending college in northern California , she began working at a free health clinic in Sacramento . `` I realized that the illnesses and conditions I was seeing there were not that different from what I saw at home . And I began to ask ... why . '' In Tulare County , 73 % of adults are either overweight or obese , according to a recent California Health Interview Survey . Many community members do not own a vehicle or have easy access to public transportation , Ramirez said . The result : People are not getting the quality foods that often grow nearby . `` There is n't a full service grocery store that provides the best and most wholesome food at affordable prices here in the community , '' Ramirez said . While working toward her master 's degree and , ultimately , her Ph.D. , Ramirez worked part-time as Tulare County 's epidemiologist . With a background in public health and cultural studies , she saw the link between food insecurity and the high rates of obesity and diabetes . `` I 've talked to a lot of people who end up being referred to me ... because they have chronic diseases or their children have chronic diseases , '' Ramirez said . `` I lost count of how many 4-year-olds ( I was ) seeing with high cholesterol or how many people ( came ) in due to obesity . I 've had moments in the clinic where I have people literally cry because they tell me they ca n't afford to eat well or eat healthy . '' When Ramirez set out to help her community , she gathered residents and asked them for their input . By involving them in her efforts , she aims to instill hope and dignity . `` We wanted to start a project where the community sees the value of their own experiences , '' she said . A community of change . In addition to salvaging produce , residents learn how to live a healthy life . The group runs a community garden , a fitness program and nutrition classes that Ramirez calls `` food labs . '' `` This is an educational opportunity to find out how to use foods we grow in the garden , '' she said . `` I like to have community members offer their own recipes . I welcome the community to teach as well . We want everyone to feel involved . '' Adults and children participate in the food labs , and generations of families get involved . `` Grandma will bring a potluck , and the rest of the family -- and community -- will enjoy the meal , '' Ramirez said . For Ramirez , it 's about creating a sense of belonging and purpose in her community . `` It 's not about us looking for someone else to come in and save these communities , '' she said . `` It 's how we recognize that the people here already matter , that they have value . '' Want to get involved ? Check out the Be Healthy Tulare website at www.behealthytulare.com and see how to help .
Tulare County 's is `` nation 's salad bowl '' but many do n't have access to fresh produce . Sarah Ramirez Be Healthy Tulare collects excess fruit and vegetables . That produce , which would otherwise go to waste , is delivered to those in need . Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open for Twice a month California Health Interview Survey Heroes .