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Promotoras have long been acknowledged as important agents of healthy change in Latino communities. Thanks in large part with their relationships in the community and the specialized health education they receive, promotoras are often able to reach Latinos that “traditional” health care workers cannot.
In Northern California’s Sonoma Valley, the La Luz Center was founded to provide a variety of social and health services to the area’s burgeoning Latino population. Now, their new initiative will begin organizing and training promotoras to go into the community and promote healthy lifestyles.
According to a story in the Sonoma Index-Tribune, the first group includes seven area women who received training from La Luz, the Sonoma Valley Community Health Center, and Sonoma Valley Hospital.
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“This is a great program that connects health information to the community in a culturally relevant manner – community connecting with community,” said La Luz Program Director Veronica Vences in an interview. “These ladies have learned a lot about our local health system from our community health center and hospital. Our goal is to share information that continues to drive a healthy community.”
The three main goals of the new promotora program include: identifying the needs of the community and to promote awareness and education, to provide useful, educational information at health events in the community, and create a “health support network.”
The promotoras at La Luz will be focused on five key factors in health and wellbeing: self-love, breathing, positive choices, balance, and trust. The group has already been working at sharing information on these topics in their community and personal circles of family and friends.
Read more about this story here.
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By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
