Poder Latinx Announces Important Partnership to Host Series of Virtual Events Spreading Health Information and Promoting Civic Participation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, August 21, 2020
CONTACT: Mynellies Negron (703) 585 6727 mynellies@communicationsshop.us & Daniela Rambal (202) 945 8320 daniela@communicationsshop.us
Poder Latinx Announces Important Partnership to Host Series of Virtual Events Spreading Health Information and Promoting Civic Participation
The Live Events, To Be Held in Spanish, Will Address Lack of Inclusive Responses Needed to Curb Pandemic
Poder Latinx is partnering over the next several weeks with Dr. Ilan Shapiro, medical director of health and wellness education at AltaMed Health Services, and Dr. Jose Torradas, an ER doctor and national spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), for a series of Instagram live events as part of the August Civic Health Month campaign. These live events will be targeted towards Spanish-speaking populations across the United States, ensuring that essential public health information reaches all communities, in pursuit of public safety and an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Due to a lack of fair, inclusive, national health policies, it is up to community-based organizations like ours to ensure the necessary information supporting the well-being of our communities is accessible. The federal and many state governments have failed in providing the appropriate tools needed to reduce infections, avoid virus exposure, and stabilize this horrific pandemic. The lack of adequate health programs for low-income communities, affordable health care options, and a national policy on paid sick leave is a major part of the socioeconomic consequences of this pandemic impacting our communities,” said Yadira Sánchez, Co-Director of Poder Latinx.
Civic Health Month is a nonpartisan collaboration between voter registration organizations, healthcare organizations, and their providers aimed at making the connection between civic engagement and healthcare throughout the month of August.
“It is our hope that with these live events, we can become a resource to community members, answering questions for those who may be afraid or can’t afford to visit a primary care doctor,” said Dr. Shapiro. “In making this information widely-available and advocating for everyone to get out and vote, we can all help create a better world, but the change needs to start with us.”
“Today, our community is suffering disproportionately the effects of the pandemic due to an administration antagonistic to Hispanic interests. The risks we run by not voting will have serious repercussions now and in the very long term. This Civic Health Month, we want to put an emphasis not only on the resources available to community members that can help prevent the spread of COVID, but also on the importance of our civic participation for our health and wellbeing,” said Dr. Torradas. “We must take precautions to protect our health this Election Day, but we absolutely must vote. Our community is in danger and the stakes in 2020 are too high to stay on the sidelines and not be counted.
The Instagram Live sessions with Dr. Shapiro will occur on August 24 at 12:00 pm EST and August 31 at 12:00 pm EST The sessions with Dr. Torradas will take place on August 25 at 12:00 pm EST and August 27 at 12:00 pm EST.
You can also connect with Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Torradas on Twitter. To learn more, please visit: https://civichealthmonth.org/.
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Poder Latinx, our mission is to build a political wave of voters where the Latinx community, immigrants, and people of color play a key role in the transformation of the country and become decision-makers in our democracy. Through innovative partnerships, issue-based organizing and leadership development, Poder Latinx is rapidly expanding the U.S electorate with new and low propensity Latinx voters. In its first six months, Poder Latinx registered 30,000 voters, building a foundation poised to create change starting with the Presidential elections in 2020.