Their work has only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the nonprofit led the fight to reduce transmission in ZIP codes with the highest COVID positivity rates in Orange County.

Together with Anaheim Union High School District and other ed partners, Latino Health Access has co-hosted hundreds of students and parents in summits centered on issues deemed important by the communities they serve. They have activated, trained and employed parent and youth leaders to conduct outreach, educate their communities, promote free mobile testing site opportunities, and connect families to much needed services including food and cash assistance, health care, emotional wellness services and eviction prevention counseling.

“During this current crisis, many of our families have been negatively affected and seek safety and reassurance,” said Charles Ku, assistant principal, Ball Junior High School. “Latino Health Access has done an amazing job at providing resources for our community at Ball through their clinics and presentations to our families that have kept them informed and more secure in their struggle through the pandemic. They fill in a health information gap that many of our families face and they have been crucial in keeping our community safe.”

Latino Health Access is also committed to offering programs that gain the trust of the community and engage residents to create a synergy that comes with inclusion and participation.

“In the summer, students, parents and staff joined forces with the LHA team to identify barriers, fashion solutions and create strategies to reduce COVID-19 transmission,” said Araceli Huerta, Community Schools coordinator with Anaheim Union. “These included strategically placing mobile, COVID-19 testing clinics on a weekly basis at school sites located in our neighborhoods hardest hit by COVID.”

LHA’s strategies are designed to reach community members outside of the traditional health care setting. One example is the hiring of “promotores” (health promoters) who are chosen for their unique strength of creating enduring relationships with neighbors. Stationed in laundromats, churches, supermarkets, apartments, bus stops, living rooms, schools and other places, they offer health information to residents who might not otherwise reach out for help.

Latino Health Access recognizes that health and education are interconnected and therefore, they strive to reduce the burden of chronic disease, strengthen family mental and emotional health, and create healthier communities through a culturally competent and collaborative approach.