BACHAC Promotoras Program
Thanks to San Mateo County Health, the Chan Zuckerberg Inititiative, and Together Towards Health, BACHAC has launched a Community Health Outreach Professional (CHOP)/Promotores Pilot Program focused on the northern part of San Mateo County. The underlying goal of the program is to establish the skills and qualities it takes to be a professional in community health outreach work, and how to better bridge the gap between the resources needed for a healthy life in the community.
BACHAC has five trainees who have great public service experience, many of whom are bilingual, as our new promotores have enthusiastically joined our team. Their duties include learning what it takes to be a professional in community health work and taking that information into the field by participating in many of the events BACHAC is a part of. These activities include community clinics, health fairs, cultural events, libraries, churches, schools, senior centers and more.
The typical schedule of our promotores includes, connecting with the community one-on-one, phone banking and canvassing, gathering reliable resources, giving out PPE (Masks, Sanitizer & Antigen Test Kits) and health education information. Last but not least, with Redwood City Together, they participate in a monthly training that focuses on subjects conducive to all areas of community health outreach work.
So far our wonderful speakers have been Dr. Tamarra Jones - San Mateo County Health (SMCH), Public Health Equity Officer and Health Policy and Planning Program Manager, Deandra Lee - Senior Community Health Planner with the Health Equity Team under Health Policy and Planning, and Alberto Arias - Program Manager with San Mateo County Health’s COVID-19 Response Unit Outreach and Education branch. Training topics have included: County Health Structure, Health Disparities, Phone Banking and Canvassing, Conflict Resolution, Public Speaking, and so much more!
With us from September 2022 until June 2023, please welcome our Promotores: Salvador Meza, Lidice Zegarra, Cesilia Canales, Elizabeth Yaqona, and Pagaloa Fifita!
Words from Promotora Trainees
Learn from one another. Lean on one another. Love one another. This is BACHAC to me.”
- Pagaloa Fifita
Pagaloa Fifita, Promotora trainee shares: “I now have the opportunity to learn from amazing people who have a huge heart to serve those in need! BACHAC prepares us with effective communication skills to spread awareness of health resources and information that are available for the community.”
“Hola mi nombre es Cesilia Canales yo pertenezco al programa de BACHAC. Yo me siento muy contenta de estar trabajando con ustedes, todos son unas excelentes personas y me an brindado mucho apoyo y paciencia. Y aunque a veces no entiendo el inglés cuando estamos en las juntas yo le llamo a Rafael o a Óscar para verificar si les entendí. También para la tecnología de textos y correos electrónicos yo estoy aprendiendo y gracias a Rafael que me enseño. Me siento muy afortunada de pertenecer a su grupo y me siento en familia porque no e visto ninguna discriminación hacia mi. Muchas gracias Keisha por tu ayuda también. Bendiciones para todos. 🙏🙏😘” -Cesilia Canales
Translation: Hello, my name is Cesilia Canales and I belong to the BACHAC program. I am very happy to be working with you, you are all excellent people and have given me a lot of support and patience. And even though sometimes I don't understand English when we are in the meetings I call Rafael or Oscar to check if I understand them. Also, I am learning about text and email technology thanks to Rafael who taught me. I feel very fortunate to belong to your group and I feel like I’m among family because I have not seen any discrimination towards me. Thank you very much Keisha for your help as well. Blessings to all.