La Voz - La Alianza Hispana

Heart, Voice, Hope, and Opportunity
La Voz,
Celebra La Vida Con Salud Y Música Special Newsletter
¡Saludos!
What an amazing day it was on July 13th
when La Alianza Hispana and Celebra La
Vida Con Salud celebrated its 2nd annual
Festival: Celebra La Vida Con Salud y
Música Festival (Celebrate a Healthy Life
and Music). It was the largest Latino
gathering on Boston City Hall Plaza. Over
13,000 people took advantage of free
services, medical screening, cultural
activities, and health-related
workshops. The evening culminated in a
spellbinding performance by Grammy
Award Nominee Milly Quezada, the "Queen
of Merengue." People were dancing and
singing to the Latin beat of Milly and over
25 artists from all over the State of
Massachusetts, who performed that day.
Children and families also participated in
the many events hosted by the New
England Aquarium, Museum of Science,
and, Zone fitness. Youth groups took
advantage of expression painting,
workshops, and exhibits on health and
fitness and performed dance, theatre, and
comic skits on stage.
Fun was had by all, but the true purpose
of the day was for La Alianza Hispana and
Celebra La Vida Con Salud to unite their
efforts and marshal their incredible
outreach capabilities. The goals were not
only to build awareness among festival
participants about illnesses affecting
Latinos and to provide education about
specific actions they can take to improve
their families' health, but also to bring together an amazing array of national, local,
community, nonprofit, cultural, and private resources to address the issue of health
disparities in the Latino community. It was a true collaboration of spirit and action.
As both Carmen Ramos-Watson, Executive Director, Celebra La Vida Con Salud and
I have said, "We use the medium of music, dance and celebration, but the key goal
of the event is to equip Latinos with the education and resources they need to access
quality health services."
Although over 13,000 Latinos embraced the Celebra health festival and took
ownership of their health, arming our community with knowledge is not enough. We
should also remember that to improve the quality of health services for Latinos, we
need to increase cross-cultural expertise among health practitioners. Healthcare
providers must understand the beliefs that shape a person's approach to health and
illness. Knowledge of customs and healing traditions are indispensable to treatment
and intervention design. Partnerships that bridge the cultural divide helping
healthcare practitioners better understand the beliefs,values, and traditions that
shape our community and influence patient health practices and decisions are a
crucial communication channel for this effort.
La Alianza and Celebra know that efforts like the Celebra La Vida Con Salud y Música
Festival help us create awareness and understanding. The two organizations plan to
continue to build partnerships that help improve healthcare for Boston's Latino
community. Over the next year, La Alianza and Celebra will be joining forces with our
partners such as Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Boston Public Health
Commission, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and others to
develop programs that help bridge the cultural divide and build collaborative
networks to improve healthcare for Boston's Latino community.
We have so many individuals and institutions to recognize for their generosity, active
participation, and belief in the power of community. State Senator Dianne Wilkerson
continues to be a staunch advocate for the Latino community and is working to
increase resources for programs that address health disparities among Latinos.
Dianne Luby from Planned Parenthood provided incredible financial support for this
event. We also recognize her organization's increasing efforts to close the gaps of
STDs and cervical cancer rates among Latinas. We thank Mayor Menino and Dr.
Barbara Ferrer from Boston Public Health Commission for their continued support of
this event and events like these that help incorporate public health outreach with
cultural activities. We would also like to thank our generous corporate sponsors,
media partners, nonprofit and health-related exhibitors/providers, musicians,
performers, and volunteers. Last, but not least, we appreciate the dedication and the
outstanding efforts of our staff at La Alianza and Celebra to mobilize our community.
Their investment of time, resources, and talent was invaluable and sent a clear
message: the health and well-being of the Latino community is an important
investment.
In this issue of La Voz, we are excited to feature Celebra La Vida Con Salud Y Música
2008, provide links to video and photos from that day, and share how this event
further impacts health education initiatives in the City of Boston.
Un Fuerte Abrazo,
Janet Collazo
Executive Director
LA ALIANZA HISPANA
SALUD
Carmen Ramos-Watson
Executive Director
CELEBRA LA VIDA CON
Our Impact on Health Disparities
Celebra La Vida Con Salud y Música's Vision and Mission
Celebra la Vida Con Salud y Música was created to
shine the spotlight on the issues of health disparities
among Latinos in Boston by reach and engage
Latinos in the healthcare process. Featuring
interactive, culturally relevant health exhibits, each
year Celebra builds awareness among festival
participants about illnesses affecting Latinos and
provides education about specific actions they can
take to improve their families' health. Medical
screenings provided to festival participants included
HIV/AIDS, prostate cancer, blood pressure, glucose,
cholesterol, dental, STDs, and others.
As Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Executive Director of the
Boston Public Health Commission, points out, "It's
imperative that we address the factors that leave
Latinos exposed to poor healthcare just because they
don't understand treatment, and especially
prevention, because of language and cultural
differences."
Despite recent progress in overall national health,
there are continuing disparities in the incidence of
illness and death among ethnic populations.
Latinos suffer disproportionately high rates of several
preventable illnesses and diseases including
HIV/AIDS, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, stroke,
and some cancers. For example:
•
Heart disease is the number one killer of
Latino men and women.
•
Latinas have 5 times the AIDS rate as do
white non-Latina women.
•
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Latinas.
•
Cervical Cancer is 50% higher among Latinas than among non-Latina white
women.
Numerous studies have pointed to the fact that the delivery of high-quality primary
health care that is accessible, effective, and cost efficient requires healthcare
practitioners to have a deeper understanding of the socio-cultural background of
patients, their families, and the environments in which they live.1 Culturally
competent primary health services facilitate clinical encounters with more favorable
outcomes, increase the potential for a more rewarding interpersonal experience and
enhance the satisfaction of the individual receiving healthcare services.2 Yet, despite
this growing body of evidence, not enough is being done to address the lack of
culturally and linguistically appropriate skills.
We know that for some families Celebra La Vida Con Salud y Música is just one
access point. Additional access points must be created if we are to improve the
quality of services and health outcomes for Boston's Latino population. At La Alianza
we are working on access to care issues that focus on improving the collection of
data, building partnerships, and developing specific programs that improve quality of
care.
This year, in an effort to improve access to care, La Alianza and Celebra La Vida Con
Salud implemented a new initiative aimed at collecting data about healthcare access
capacity, and health status of festival participants. The project will also measure the
impact of Celebra's health education and promotion on participants, particularly the
degree to which Celebra motivated participants to seek healthcare services and
adopt healthy lifestyles.
Partnerships have also helped to drive La Alianza's work this year. In April La Alianza
became a member of the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities.
The partnership brings together local, state, tribal, regional and federal experts, and
practitioners from the private and public sectors to lay the foundation for a national
blueprint to end health disparities. As a member organization, La Alianza was invited
to participate in a regional dialogue to identify, examine, and address the social,
economic, and underlying factors that contribute to health disparities. We will also
look at how public and private practioners as well as community organizations can
help affect change in these areas. La Alianza will continue to collaborate with the
National Partnership for the New England region to determine best ways to address
critical gaps among populations and in specific diseases and to identify solutions,
methods, and programs that will address these gaps. And lastly, on a local level, La
Alianza will continue to work with our partners such as Planned Parenthood League
of Massachusetts, Boston Health Commission, the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services/Office of Minority Health, and others to develop programs that help
bridge the cultural divide and build collaborations to help improve healthcare for
Boston 's Latino community.
1-National Center for Cultural Competence Policy Brief
"Rationale for Cultural Competence in Primary Care")
2-National Center for Cultural Competence Policy Brief
"Rationale for Cultural Competence in Primary Care")
An Expression of Appreciation to our
Corporate and Community Partners
Celebra La Vida Con Salud Y Música would not have been possible with out the
generous funding of our corporate and community sponsors. Special thanks to:
Merck, CardioChek, Alzheimer's Association, Food and Drug Administration-Center
for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts,
Boston Public Health Commission, Verizon Wireless, Harvard Pilgram Healthcare,
Tufts Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Neighborhood Health Plan, Partners
Healthcare, Eastern Bank, Network Health, Red Sox Foundation, Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Massachusetts, Mayor's Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events and the
Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
How to Rally 13,000 People
With Gratitude to Our Media Sponsors
Tactically reaching the target audience through media channels is essential to
enabling a nonprofit to fulfill its mission. La Alianza has been fortunate to have the
generous and ongoing support of local media organizations, celebrities, and media
personalities who are truly passionate about linking our Latino community with
important information and resources.
We can't celebrate the accomplishments of the Celebra La Vida Con Salud y Música
Festival without acknowledging our friends in the local and Latino media who this
year went above and beyond, by not only helping us spread the word, but also
partnering with us in the area of Youth Prevention and sponsoring one of the
highlights of the evening, Chu Trompeta and His Orchestra
This past spring, El Mundo and El Planeta newspapers and Color Magazine signed
on as media partners and generously promoted our event in their publications. Radio
stations like Power 800 AM who generously sponsored Chu Trompeta and His
Orchestra, Rumba 1200 AM, Radio Latina 104.1 SCA, radio talk shows such as
Tertulia Matinal (1300 AM) and Empujando la Mañana (1330 AM) and TV
shows like Sin Rodeos (Cuenca Vision Channel 26), De Noche con Many,
(Cuenca
Vision Channel 26), Boston de Noche (Cuenca Vision Channel 26), Boston
Latino TV (BNN Channel), and El Show de Fernandito (BNN Channel) gave our
event a voice and participated in give-away promotions that truly built the
momentum and interest in this event.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to
Univision New England for its fantastic
support of La Alianza Hispana and our partner
Celebra La Vida Con Salud 2nd annual Celebra
La Vida Con Salud y Musica Festival. Univision
ran daily PSAs, interviewed the event
committee members, and promoted this event
in numerous ways. We also want to recognize
Telemundo for coming aboard this year and
running daily PSAs.
Yadires Nova-Salcedo, host of WBZ TV's
Centro (Channel 4) hosted a special segment
featuring Celebra La Vida Con Salud y Música,
as did Angel Salcedo, host of Encuentro
Latino at Telemundo.
The Boston Globe, Boston Bay Banner,
Salud y Familia Magazine, Boston Metro,
Siglo 21, El Vocero Hispano and La Semana
also included pre and post event coverage
which really helped to raise the profile of this
incredible festival.
The media's investment in Celebra La Vida Con
Salud y Música didn't end with just print and
radio coverage. Univision's Sara Surez, Cecy
Gutierrez and Eduardo Guerrero graciously
and energetically emceed the main stage along
with Fernando Bossa of Fernando's
Hideaway, Awilda and Jhonny Mackenzie
from Power 800 AM, Yadires Nova Salcedo,
Angel Salcedo from Encuentro Latino,
Javier "El Papi chulo", Cachita and
Estrellita from Tertulia Matinal, Manny
Carrasco from Empujando la Mañana and
Miguel Miguel from Rumba 1200 AM who
made guest appearances at the main stage.
The amazing media power of these institutions along with La Alianza's and Celebra's
powerful outreach brought close to 15,000 people to Celebra la Vida con Salud y
Música. What a testament to the individual and collective clout of these journalists
and the mobilization capacity of both a national and a local community-based
organization! Please visit the media coverage links listed below.
Boston Goble
"Festival Celebrates Latino Culture and Stresses Health"
July 14, 2008
New England Ethnic News
"Hispanic Health Fair Celebrates Life and Disease Prevention"
July 15, 2008
El Mundo
"Arte Juvenil en el Festival Familiar Latino de Comcast"
July 3, 2008
El Mundo
"Todo listo para el Festival de Salud Latina Más Esperado de Todo el Año
Celebra la Vida Con Salud y Música"
July 10, 2008
El Planeta
"Realizarán Festival Latino de Salud"
July 10, 2008
Siglo 21
"Alianza Hispana y 'Celebra la Vida con Salud y Música' traen a Milly Quezada"
July 8, 2008
El Mundo
"Latinos Toman Control Sobre Su Salud"
July 17, 2008
Siglo 21
"Celebra la Vida Con Salud y Música"
July 15
El Planeta
"Latinos Acuden a Feria para Informarse Sobre su Salud"
July 17, 2008
El Planeta
"Realizan Feria de Salud para Latinos
Celebra la Vida en Boston"
July 17, 2008
La Semana
"Milly Quezada Cerró Espectacularmente Salud y Vida"
July 17, 2008
Boston Bay Banner
"Boston Scenes Local and Culturally Relevant Events This Week"
July 17, 2008
Wbztv Centro,
"Free Latino Health Fair @ Boston City Hall Plaza"
July 12, 2008
Leadership and Service
Celebra La Vida Con Salud y Música's People in Action
Celebra la Vida Con Salud y Música 2008 Honorary Committee
Honorary Chairperson
Mayor Thomas M. Menino
City of Boston
Honorary Committee
Pablo Argüeso
Assistant Scientist, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard University
Jarrett Barrios
President, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation
Alberto Cárdenas, President of La
Alianza Hispana's Board of Directors;
Dianne Luby, Chief Executive Officer
Planned Parenthood League of
Massachusetts;
Jovita Fontanez, Special Assistant,
Mayor's Office of Jobs and
Community Service and Janet
Collazo, Executive Director of La
Alianza Hispana
Dharma E. Cortes, Ph.D.
Professor Cambridge Health Alliance/ Harvard Medical School's Department of
Psychiatry & The Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and
Public Policy
Marla Felcher
Professor, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Dr. Barbara Ferrer
Executive Director, Boston Public Health Commission
Elmer Freeman
Director, Urban Clinical Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University
Claudio Martínez
Executive Director, Hyde Square Task Force
Philip W. Johnston
President, Johnston Associates
Alberto Vasallo III
Vice President, El Mundo Newspaper
Rodolfo Vega
Senior Research Scientist, JSI Research & Training Institute
Dianne Wilkerson
State Senator, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Special Guests
Brian P. Golden, New England Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services; Cheryl Lynn Fajardo, Department of Health and Human
Services, Office of Minority Health; Marian Mehegan, Office of Women's Health;
Dianne Wilkerson, State Senator; Sam Yoon, City Councilor; Charles Yancey, City
Councilor; Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Boston Public Health Commissioner; Dianne Luby,
Executive Director of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts; Juan Vega,
Executive Director of Centro Latino de Chelsea; Grace Moreno, Deputy Director of
Health Care for All; Celina Miranda, Charitable Giving Manager, Bank of New York
Mellon; Jaime Crespo, Children's Hospital; Helen Cajigas and Jorge Machal, Quest
Diagnostics; David Linz and Sherry Dong, Tufts Medical Center; Carmen OquendoVillar, Harvard University; and Ralph Cuevas and Christian Arra, Boston Medical
Center.
Dedicated City of Boston Staff
A special recognition to Marco Torres, Liaison to the Latino Community who so
generously gave his time and talent to this event. Kudos also go to Patte Papa,
Director of Special Events; Lisa Menino, Property & Construction Management; Lou
Chianca, Mayor's Office of Arts,Tourism, and Special Events and the following staff
from Boston Public Health Commission: Daisy De La Rosa, Director of the Heath
Connection, Public Health Van; Susan Carpenter, Assistant Director of
Communications; Maia BrodyField, MPH, Chief of Staff.
Volunteer Organizations, Groups, and Families
Dahn Yoga: The Phoenix Project (with 30 volunteers!), Marilyn Mercado (with 16
Miss Teen Horizonte Pageant stars!), Sandra Rodríguez (with 15 Miss Anacaonas
Pageant stars!), Alejandra St. Guillen, Gloria López, Maria Mejía, Anita Mercado,
Massachusetts Hispanic Law Enforcement Association, Chelsea Collaborative, Malden
Catholic High School Students (Rey Torres, Matt Urban, Kenneth Watkins, and Mike
Sullivan), The Espinosa Family (Enrique, Ruth, and Pedro) The Dasilva Family
(Justin, Anthony, Marcus, and Erriena Tejada), The Aravena Family, The Orellana
Family, and Deborah Rivera and her Dance Over the Crime group.
Behind the Scenes Supporters
Yesenia Millan, Johanna Richwagen, Ismael Martínez, Maura Rosado, Wilton
Alcantara, Jessica Terrero, Jacqueline Soto, Humberto Rosado, Lisette García, Ashley
Daran, Irma Orellano, Javiera Arevena, Angelica Vega, Berta Estrada, Vinnie
Rodriguez, Estefany Fuentes, Alejandra St. Guillen, Gloria Lopez, Karla
Ventura, Cesar Vicente, Sandra Gomez, Anderson Lopez, Lisette Colon, Elsy Rosales,
Brandy Brooks, Virginia Marcotte, Pedro Rosales, Barbara Rosales, Orlando
Bermudez, Rafael Garcia, Agapito Jimenez Jr., Joshua Cruz, Erick Gambaro, Elisbeth
Gambaro, Debrinna Navarro, Lisnadyr Gambaro, Nilmarie, Carmen Cruz, Norma
Perez, Vanessa Nieves, Melissa Berrio, Ashley Brooks, Daneyri Revi, Deborah
Demelo, Jacqui Duval, Cesar Arriaza, Luis Baez, Juan Colon, Elvin Ruiz, Valentin
Rivera, Ronald Figaro, Enrique Navarro, Enrique Navarro Jr., Elisabeth Marcelino,
Wemel Guerrero, Lijia Ayala, Maria Mejia, Myriaru Hernandez, Al Acosta, Jasmine
Villanueu, Marilyn Mercado, Jeimy Navarro, Ericka Pena, H. Reyna, Jessenia Urrea,
Milly Lez Lopez-Tusner, Jessy Reyes, Reyna Moreno, Chrisler Cortez, Pamela Cortes,
Gladis Andino, Herbert Mena, Karen Zepeda, Jared Brown, Pedro Espinosa, Francisco
Espinosa, Juan Cardillo, Alexandra Valdez, Carolina Rivera, Porfirio Duarte, Nancy
Reyes, Victor Rodriguez, Jeda Machal Cajigas, Jorge Machal, Christina, Ana Pena,
David Espinosa, Jasmine Ramero, Maribel Buenrostro, Alba Martinez, Daisy Varela,
Rupurt Kosmolla, Luis Santos, Grace Naram, Lina Jimenez, Sandra Jimenez Cruz,
Anita Mercado.
On-the-Ground Outreach Efforts
Verizon Wireless, Indira de León, Most Holy Redeemer (East Boston), Congregación
León de Judá (Boston), Holy Name (West Roxbury), Most Precious Blood (Hyde
Park), Our Lady of Lourdes (Jamaica Plain), Cathedral Holy Cross (Boston), The
Gaston Institute, Deloitte Consulting, Belkis' Beauty Salon, Tacos el Charro, La Fe
Restaurant, El Tipico Restaurant, Rincón Macorizano Restaurant, Yelly's Coffee Shop,
Hylo Foods, The Office of New Bostonians, Dudley St. Neighborhood Initiative, Centro
Presente, Concilio Hispano, Vine Street Community Center, Timothy Middle School,
Amigos School, RESPOND, Inc., Roca, Centro Latino, Chelsea Collaborative, The Food
Project and Community Gems Partners (Boston Higher Education Resource Center,
Children's Services of Roxbury, Roxbury Youthworks, YouthBuild Boston, and
Roxbury Multi-Service Center)
Event Committee
Carmen Ramos-Watson, Janet Collazo, Josiane Martínez, Gerardo Hernández, Teresa
Aravena, Alba Rosado, Aixa Beauchamp, Rita Lara, Ellie Zambrano, Andrés Molina,
and Beatriz Strater.
Event Staff
Celebra La Vida Con Salud staff: Gerardo Hernández, Mary Herdoiza, Arturo Vásquez,
Victor Namnum, Dione Bishop, Ximena Camou, Angela Leach, Ileana Vásquez, and
Arlena Ferrandiz-Myers.
La Alianza's staff: Josiane Martínez, Alba Rosado, Beatriz Stratter, Rosita Colon, Rita
Lara
Aixa Beauchamp, Andrés Molina, Victor Placeres, Agapito Jiménez, Tony Ippolito,
Marisol Amaya, Sandra Rojas, Benny Troncoso, Ramon Recio, Maria Elisa Avellaneda,
Fransisco Gómez, Jorge Arguello, Patria Santana, Janice Bigelow, Marina Rodríguez,
Rosa Bastián
Wendy Zapata, Jorge Arguello, Mercedes Ponce, Teresa Aravena, Ellie Zambrano,
Isabel Villela, Ana Cambanchi, Alana Marie Casciello, Amanda Schepici, Christina
López, Dinora Estrada, Emily Orellana, and Erica Dasilva.
Please accept our sincerest apologies for any ommissions. La Alianza Hispana and
Celebra la Vida Con Salud are truly grateful for the support of all individuals and
organizations who have so generously given their time, talent, resources, and
manpower to the Celebra La Vida Con Salud y Música festival.
Celebra la Vida
Con Salud y
Música Village
Health-Related Exhibitors
MERCK, Planned Parenthood
League of Massachusetts, Boston
Public Health Commission
Programs-The Health Van,
Community Initiatives Bureau,
Mayor's Health Line and Youth
Development Network, Tufts
Health Plan, Neighborhood
Health Plan, Network Health
Plan, Children's Hospital, Blue
Cross Blue Shield of
Massachusetts, Tuft Medical
Center, Harvard Pilgrim Health
Care, Alzheimer's Association,
Boston Medical Center, BMC
Health Net Plan, Network Health,
CardioChek, Commonwealth Care
Alliance, Dahn Foundation's
Phoenix Project, East Boston
Neighborhood Health Center,
Health Care for All, Joslin
Diabetes Center: Latino Diabetes
Initiative, Latin American Health
Institute (LHI), Massachusetts
Department of Public Health,
Roxbury Comprehensive Health
Center, Senior Whole
Health,Tufts University's Boston
Puerto Rican Center for
Population Health, Asperger's
Association of New England,
Central Boston Elder Services,
Partners for Health, South End
Community Health Center,
Martha Eliot Health Center, MGH
Charlestown, Health Care Center,
Brookside Community Health
Center, Dana Farber Cancer
Institute, AIDS Action Committee
of Massachusetts, Harvard
School Public health, Hispanic
Dental Association of Tufts University, and Cambridge Health Alliance.
Community-Based Organizations
ABCD Citywide Hispanic Center, American Red Cross, Boston Campaign for Proficiency,
Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, Chelsea Collaborative, Casa Esperanza, Ethos,
HOPE, Inc., La Alianza Hispana, MassVOTE, Museum of Science, New England Aquarium,
Latino Political Task Force of Massachusetts, and Massachusetts Hispanic Law
Enforcement Association, Children's Services of Roxbury, Consulado Venezuela, Festival
Dominicano, Llamanos y Hablemos c/o Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BAARC), Project
Bread, The Network/La Red, MASS NOW, YWCA Boston, Justice Resource Institute, Inc.
Latino-Focused Businesses
Verizon Wireless, AVON, Barron Chiropractic & Rehabilitation, P.C. DoneKeySpan Energy,
Aixa Beauchamp & Associates, U.S. Alliance Federal Credit Union, Herrera's Burritos, BB's
Ice ParadICE, Mark Matarazzo, Divina Productions Inc., KLC School
Partnerships/Education Station, LLC, Law Office of L. Manuel Macias, US Alliance Federal
Credit Union, Wizard Language Center - East Boston, Inc.
Entertainment
DJ Manny Martínez "Mandiezel," Marina Rodríguez, Cesar Villalobos and Inca Son, Roberto
Clemente 21 Dancers, Milly Huertas, Fuerza Internacional, Alto Calibre, Lio, Estrellas
Tropicales, Berkley Latin Jazz All Star Band, Janny & Marco, Bats and Rome, Rush,
Escencia Latina, Dance Over Crime, Chu Trompeta and His Orchestra, and Milly Quezada
and Orchestra
o
Federal and Government Agencies
Department of Health and Human Services: Office f Public Health, Office of Minority
Health and Women's Health, Department of Social Services, Food and Drug
Administration-Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Health Resources and
Services Administration, Office of HIV/Aids Policy, and Office for Civil Rights
We have taken every measure to accurately represent all of those individuals and
organizations who participated in this event. If you find an omission, please accept our
sincerest apologies.
If you are interested in participating next year, please contact Josiane Martinez at
[email protected].
The Power of Prevention
Youth channeling creativity to Combat Sexually Transmitted Infections
Each year 4 million adolescents are diagnosed
with a sexually transmitted infection (STI).1 While
most STIs can be effectively treated when
diagnosed, 70% of sexually active teens are not
tested 2, and an unknown number of
undiagnosed cases occur annually. Untreated
STIs can lead to increased risks of spreading
STIs as well as reproductive cancers and
infertility.3 Teens, females, and ethnic minorities
have disproportionately high STI rates.4 Though
condom use is increasing among Latinos 5,
unsafe sexual behaviors continue to put them at
risk for contracting STIs. Increasing awareness
regarding the nature of STIs, methods of
prevention, and access to healthcare services
that ensure early detection and treatment can
help Latino youth protect their health and
fertility.6
For over 9 years, Celebra La Vida Con Salud has
been working to decrease the incidences of
sexually transmitted infection among Latino
youth. This year La Alianza and Celebra
partnered with Planned Parenthood League of
Massachusetts and El Mundo Newspaper to
provide a series of youth-inspired cultural,
educational, and art activities that engaged and
linked youth with culturally and linguistically
appropriate information on STDs and
prevention.
All activities were designed to help empower the
youth and use their own skills and talents to learn
about prevention and educate their peers.
Teenagers from youth groups such as Fuerza
Internacional, Anacaona, Miss Teen Horizonte
Beauty Pageants, and Roberto Clemente 21
Dancers worked closely with Planned
Parenthood League of Massachusetts
educators, La Alianza Hispana's Education
Department and Celebra to develop clear
messages and to bring the message to their
peers. The prevention campaign was launched
at the Latino Comcast Festival of El Mundo on
July 5th.
Photos top to bottom: Roberto Clemente 21 Dancers, Fuerza Internacional, Dance Over Crime, Workshops at La Alianza
Hispana, DJ Mandiezel and Fuerza Internacional during prevention campaign launched at the Latino Comcast Festival of
El Mundo on July 5th, 2008.
The teens also worked long hours at La Alianza to craft performances, art pieces, and
skits to deliver at the Celebra La Vida Health Festival. This intensive and interactive
process facilitated by La Alianza educator Patria Santana and Celebra La Vida Con
Salud youth educator Ximena Camou, inspired and motivated the talents of these
youths and empowered them to take a more active role in their health. As Ximena
Camou pointed out,
"They truly learned from each other and in the end coined themselves 'Life
Survivors'."
At the Festival, the youth performed at the main stage with DJ Manny "Mandiezel"
Martinez and introduced performances of youth groups like Estrellas Tropicales,
Dance Over Crime, Fuerza Internacional, Roberto Clemente 21 Dancers, Escencia
Latina, Rush and reggeaton from Leo and Alto Calibre. Adults took a step back,
while youth led creative expression efforts to spread the word and educate their
peers about STDs and prevention.
The powerful message these youth delivered at the Celebra La Vida Con Salud Y
Música Festival will not end here. La Alianza and the Planned Parenthood League of
Massachusetts will continue working jointly to develop follow up services to engage,
educate, and mobilize these youth to protect their health and work on methods of
prevention and access to appropriate health services that ensure early detection and
treatment. As Dianne Luby, CEO of Pla
Join Our Team!
Job Opportunities at La Alianza Hispana
Please help us recruit top talent for the following career opportunities at La Alianza
Hispana:
•
Clinician (Licensed Social Worker preferred) for the Latino Family Counseling
Center
•
Licensed Practical Nurse for the Elder's Adult Day Health Program
Send resume and cover letter via regular mail or email to:
Tony Ippolito
La Alianza Hispana, Inc.
409 Dudley Street
Roxbury, MA 0211
Tel: (617) 427-7175 Ext. 258
Fax: (617) 442-2259
Email: [email protected]
Tell us about La Voz
In April's issue of La Voz we invited our readers to participate in a survey that would
help La Alianza Hispana improve its newsletter. Thanks to all who have already taken
the La Voz survey. We truly appreciate it! If you have not completed the survey,
please take a few minutes to participate. We promise it will only take 3 minutes.
We're aiming for the broadest participation possible and it will make a real difference
to La Alianza. The link to the survey is below. Thanks!
Survey about La Voz
La Alianza's Recent Media Coverage
Boston Goble, Festival Celebrates Latino Culture and Stresses Health
New England Ethnic News
Siglo 21, Alianza Hispana y 'Celebra la Vida con Salud y Música' traen a Milly Quezada
Siglo 21, Celebra la Vida con Salud y Música
WBZTV Centro
Boston Globe, Building Communities Through Coffee
La Alianza's website has been temporarily updated! We expect to launch our new website with
our key message and branding campaign in Fall 2008. In the meantime, please check out
www.laalianza.org if you would like archives of past newsletters, program profiles, leadership
profiles, and a staff directory.
Support La Alianza
Thank you for considering making a gift to "La Alianza Hispana." Please make checks payable to
'La Alianza Hispana" and send to the following address or submit a donation electronically by
clicking on the Donate Now button.
Rita Lara
Director of Development
La Alianza Hispana
409 Dudley Street
Roxbury, MA 02109
La Alianza Hispana, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt community based organization. All
contributions to La Alianza Hispana, Inc. are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law
La Alianza's Mission
La Alianza Hispana is a community-based non-profit organization serving the Latino community
and all residents of the surrounding neighborhoods. The goal is to empower individuals and
families, strengthen communities, and develop leaders through high-quality education and social
services, advocacy and community organizing. Our services are culturally and linguistically
appropriate, integrated and community centered. La Alianza believes in social justice as a means
of creating a more egalitarian, participatory and peaceful society in which all members can realize
their fullest potential.
La Alianza Hispana, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt community based organization. All
contributions to La Alianza Hispana, Inc. are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
email: [email protected]
phone: 617-427-7175 X230
web: http://laalianza.org
Join Our List