Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - non-construction - the alianza poder community healther workers (chws) project will increase the number of chws working in marion and polk…

Community project funding/congressionally directed spending - non-construction - the alianza poder community healther workers (chws) project will increase the number of chws working in marion and polk counties, oregon, in particular those working with communities of color, immigrants, refugees and low to moderate income families. This proposal will also help develop an infrastructure of sustainability and expansion, grounded in culturally-specific practices developed by and for the communities themselves, in rural and urban areas of marion and polk counties. Chws play a pivotal role in helping improve health outcomes in communities of color, immigrants and refugees. Existing chws help reduce toxic stress, increase awareness of essential health informaion, promote healthy behaviors, and increase engagement with health care providers. The majority of those who benefit from the work of chws are low to moderate income families and individuals. Chws from these communities do their work utilizing proven culturally-specific strategies and tools to engage and support their communities. At the same time, the majority of chws working now in marion and polk counties are housed in organizations that are not culturally specific or led by the communities themselves. Unfortunately, this means that capacity is not being created in communities of color, immigrants, refugees and others to address the issues affecting them. Our proposal seeks to address this directly by increasing the number of chws who are themselves members of communities of color, immigrants, and refugees, and also housed in community-based organizations (cbos) led by the communities themselves.