"COVID Affects On Every Level, So We Help On Every Level"
For the past few months, we’ve shared glimpses of a new health initiative through the San Diego Latino Health Coalition. A group of like-minded partners are working to bridge gaps in the Latinx community as they suffer disproportionately under COVID-29.
Miriam is one of the leaders of this initiative. She’s a ‘promotora’, or a lay community healthcare worker who helps connect neighbors to the resources they need to thrive. So we took a few minutes to chat with her about the work, how it’s going, and how she got started.
“For me, I got my first glimpse of promotora work watching my auntie. After a long hard day of work, she would take the time to connect with neighbors and friends and check in on them. She often found ways to connect people with the resources or contacts they needed at that time.”
It’s a simple thing, really. Checking in. Asking questions. Building trust. Yet in our fast-paced, hyper-individualistic society, these simple, everyday building blocks of community are easily forgotten.
Miriam just refuses to forget the basics, and it’s part of the reason she’s a great promotora.
“Promotoras are health care focused by definition, but we approach it in a much more holistic way, because healthcare itself is holistic—it’s connected to everything. We know education is connected to health, housing is about health, and so on. So we support people in the community in as many of these was as we can. COVID affects people on every level, so we have to offer support on every level, too.”
Our promotoras are available to answer your questions and refer you to resources:
Facebook & Instagram: vecinos.de.city.heights
Cell or Whatsapp: 619.804.8410
Se habla español