News Release: 3/3/2023
March 03, 2023
Uplifting Community Health Workers
Healthcare Foundation announces $100,000 in grants to four local organizations utilizing Community Health Workers/Promotores to support community health and well-being in underserved neighborhoods across northern Sonoma County
Healdsburg, CA, March 2, 2023 – The Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County today announced a grant of $100,000 to be distributed to four local organizations that employ Community Health Workers / Promotores (CHW/Ps) to serve the region’s low-income, rural and Latinx residents. The grant’s recipients are Alliance Medical Center, The Botanical Bus, Corazón Healdsburg, and Nuestra Comunidad, with each organization receiving $25,000.
These four community-based nonprofits are part of a county-wide network of organizations that deploy and support training and resources for CHW/Ps. Promotores are bilingual lay health workers who provide culturally competent outreach and services to largely Spanish-speaking communities likely to be experiencing health inequities including limited access to information and services. CHW/Ps constitute a crucial health intervention. CHW/Ps played a vital role as trusted health messengers throughout the pandemic, contributing to Sonoma County’s 80% fully vaccinated rate across all ages, compared to the state average of 73%.
The grants to each nonprofit are for general operating support, providing these community-based organizations with the flexibility to determine where the funds can do the most good.
“We center our organization around empowering the promotora/community health worker workforce,” said Jocelyn Boreta, executive director and co-founder of the Botanical Bus, all of whose programs are led by Promotores. “This is especially the case with respect to Indigenous herbal medicine and nutrition, which is a vibrant part of the community we serve. We want to help people realize that the knowledge is their own and that the power to feel better is within them.”
“Promotores strengthen our region’s healthcare system by creating and sustaining vital relationships with underserved north county residents,” said Healthcare Foundation Executive Director Kim Bender. “We see this as a leading-edge strategy for advancing health equity, and we are proud to be partnering with these four organizations who are playing an important role in developing and deploying the Community Healthworker/Promotores workforce.”
“Promotores are uniquely positioned to uplift community health,” said Healthcare Foundation Board Chair Courtney Cochran. “We believe that supporting the CHW/P workforce through these four remarkable local nonprofits is a crucial part of funding the future of community wellbeing in northern Sonoma County.”
About the Healthcare Foundation
The Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County connects people and resources to promote wellness in underserved communities. We do this by supporting nonprofits in the areas of access to healthcare and mental healthcare, with a vision of eliminating health inequities in our region. The organization’s values center on community, compassion, and equity. All of our strategies support equitable access to culturally sensitive healthcare and mental health services and promote overall community wellness. Founded in 2001, the Healthcare Foundation has invested more than $23 million to build a healthier region for all who live, work and play in northern Sonoma County. For more information, visit healthcarefoundation.net.
Contact: Mary Ott, Development Director, mott@healthcarefoundation.net,
(717) 542-4625
Healthcare Foundation announces $100,000 in grants to four local organizations utilizing Community Health Workers/Promotores to support community health and well-being in underserved neighborhoods across northern Sonoma County
Healdsburg, CA, March 2, 2023 – The Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County today announced a grant of $100,000 to be distributed to four local organizations that employ Community Health Workers / Promotores (CHW/Ps) to serve the region’s low-income, rural and Latinx residents. The grant’s recipients are Alliance Medical Center, The Botanical Bus, Corazón Healdsburg, and Nuestra Comunidad, with each organization receiving $25,000.
These four community-based nonprofits are part of a county-wide network of organizations that deploy and support training and resources for CHW/Ps. Promotores are bilingual lay health workers who provide culturally competent outreach and services to largely Spanish-speaking communities likely to be experiencing health inequities including limited access to information and services. CHW/Ps constitute a crucial health intervention. CHW/Ps played a vital role as trusted health messengers throughout the pandemic, contributing to Sonoma County’s 80% fully vaccinated rate across all ages, compared to the state average of 73%.
The grants to each nonprofit are for general operating support, providing these community-based organizations with the flexibility to determine where the funds can do the most good.
“We center our organization around empowering the promotora/community health worker workforce,” said Jocelyn Boreta, executive director and co-founder of the Botanical Bus, all of whose programs are led by Promotores. “This is especially the case with respect to Indigenous herbal medicine and nutrition, which is a vibrant part of the community we serve. We want to help people realize that the knowledge is their own and that the power to feel better is within them.”
“Promotores strengthen our region’s healthcare system by creating and sustaining vital relationships with underserved north county residents,” said Healthcare Foundation Executive Director Kim Bender. “We see this as a leading-edge strategy for advancing health equity, and we are proud to be partnering with these four organizations who are playing an important role in developing and deploying the Community Healthworker/Promotores workforce.”
“Promotores are uniquely positioned to uplift community health,” said Healthcare Foundation Board Chair Courtney Cochran. “We believe that supporting the CHW/P workforce through these four remarkable local nonprofits is a crucial part of funding the future of community wellbeing in northern Sonoma County.”
About the Healthcare Foundation
The Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County connects people and resources to promote wellness in underserved communities. We do this by supporting nonprofits in the areas of access to healthcare and mental healthcare, with a vision of eliminating health inequities in our region. The organization’s values center on community, compassion, and equity. All of our strategies support equitable access to culturally sensitive healthcare and mental health services and promote overall community wellness. Founded in 2001, the Healthcare Foundation has invested more than $23 million to build a healthier region for all who live, work and play in northern Sonoma County. For more information, visit healthcarefoundation.net.
Contact: Mary Ott, Development Director, mott@healthcarefoundation.net,
(717) 542-4625
