LATINO HEALTH ACCESS (3) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Latino IIealth Access Weekly Food Distribution Program RFP 22-009A REVIVE Santa Ana: Food Supply/Distribution Programs swiftly, addressing food insecurity that has been exacerbated during the pandemic will require additional support systems, including ongoing access to food supply for these families while simultaneously taking an approach to build systems change for the eradication of food insecurity over the long-term. 4. Proposal shall include details of collaborations with local organizations For its food distribution program, LHA collaborates with the following local entities: • Second Harvest Food Bank and OC Food Bank —manage securing the food supply and other resources that are distributed at LHA. They arrange pick-up times and LHA staff manage the entirety of packaging, transportation, and distribution. • Community Action Partnership of Orange Diaper Bank — LHA answered the call of the Diaper Bank at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to connect families in need to diapers, at a time when they and other partners had to pause direct services. The partnership has remained as there has been an ongoing need for diapers among the families served in the weekly food distribution. LHA receives approximately 6,000 diapers a month to distribute. • Downtown Family Resource Center, Local Schools, and Churches — LHA has a network of partners that refer families to the food and diaper distribution event each week. Flyers are shared regularly along with other educational information on services and partners disseminate with their constituency. This allows us to reach more families throughout Santa Ana. ICey partners include Downtown Family Resource Center housed at LHA, SAUSD FACE, and Scholarship Prep Academy. 5. Proposal shall include details of innovation in program/service delivery Latino Health Access prograrnming combines evidence -based practices with community expertise to best meet the needs of our community while strengthening community assets and enhancing capacity. Over the last year, LHA has collaborated with public health researchers to understand the impact of the pandemic. In an article published in the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy', we find that our communities experienced the economic impact of the pandemic first, especially immigrant communities who remained civically disconnected from health and social systems due to structural exclusion. In a subsequent article published in Preventing Chronic Disease, a CDC -sponsored journal'-, we analyze data from LHA's Emotional Wellness program pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that while mental health/emotional wellness concerns do not disappear, there is a significant shift from our community toward seeking referrals and resources related to social needs, including those that will reduce increasing food insecurity. This research shows the interconnectedness of food insecurity, other social determinants of health, and overall mental health/emotional wellness of ' Montiel, G. I., Moon, K. J., Cantero, P. J., Pantoja, L., Ortiz, H. M., Arpero, S., .& Nawaz, S. (2021). Queremos Transformar Corranidades: Incorporating Civic Engagement as an Equity Strategy in Promotor-Led COVID-19 Response Efforts in Latins Communities. Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy, 33, 79-102. 'Moon, K. J, Montiel, G. I., Cantero, P. J., & Nawaz, S. (2021). Peer Reviewed: Addressing Emotional Wellness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: the Role of Promotores in Delivering Integrated Mental Health Care and Social Services. Preventing Chronic Disease, 18.