As of the writing of this newsletter, the U.S. was hit by unbelievable tragedy. We are at a loss for words and can't believe so many lives have been lost in a span of a week in May alone. We want to send our prayers to all of the families that have lost a loved one to gun violence. All these victims were robbed of a future and taken away from their families far too soon.

Our prayers for you will be led with love and action. We will fight for a future free of gun violence.

May you rest in peace.  

 ¡Ándale! ¿Qué Esperas?

The need for a campaign like Altamed's ¡Ándale! ¿Qué esperas? was great. At the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, it became evident that Latino communities were facing health inequalities. Our communities were devastated by this virus due to a lack of accessible testing and vaccine sites, and not knowing or not having the technology to find nearby sites. Although Latinos were by far the most eager to get the COVID-19 vaccine - as shown in

U.S. News  (33% Hispanic/Latino adults, 17% Black adults, 16% White adults) - they faced intermediate barriers to accessing accurate medical information, transportation, health insurance, and technology. The infrastructure to respond with equity and a tailored approach for the Latino community was lacking in many parts of the country. In Orange County, LHA has been working to eliminate health inequalities for years and we knew this pandemic would have dire consequences on our most vulnerable communities, so we worked tirelessly with our local clinical partners and public health officials to establish central vaccination sites. This included a weekly site at our main headquarters in the heart of Santa Ana, a location easily accessible to older adults and easily accessible by various modes of transportation. When we opened our vaccine site, hundreds of people made appointments, eager to get vaccinated. At the same time, AltaMed was seeing the devastating impacts that Covid-19 was having on the Latino community and this prompted their launch of a public education campaign with the goal of reaching over 4.45 million Latinos in California in partnership with partners in San Diego County, Orange County, Los Angeles County, Central Valley, and Northern California. When Altamed approached us to help in one of the largest Covid-19 campaigns in California we knew that this partnership would give us a larger platform to reach more Latinos in Orange County, and thanks to this partnership we were given the chance to open more pop-up vaccine clinics. 

As this campaign came to an end on May 31, 2022, we would like to share the accomplishments we made together in our end-of-June newsletter. Stay tuned. LHA will continue to host a weekly vaccination clinic, please contact our Call Center to make an appointment at 714-805-7838.

Redistricting in Santa Ana 

Centering the lived experiences and needs of low-income communities of color and working families, Latino Health Access joined the People's Redistricting Alliance to pursue maps that are representative. To ensure a community voice in statewide and local redistricting processes, the LHA Community Engagement and Advocacy (CEA) Department (1) informed participants and residents about redistricting, (2) created a space for residents to identify and articulate communities of interest (COI) important to them, (3) mobilized community members to present testimony at public hearings, and (4) worked closely with them to create city redistricting maps that best address the needs of low-income communities of color and working families.

We want to highlight the story of Jorge Casillas, a CEA participant and community member, who provided various public comments in support of the creation of the first majority-Latinx supervisorial district in Orange County (OC). Jorge Casillas has been a resident of Santa Ana for more than 40 years and a participant in the CEA department for more than 3 years. Aware of the need for the Latino community to have a voice at the table of the Board of Supervisors, Casillas focused on highlighting various communities of interest that must be kept together. In his public comment on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, Casillas mentioned that his communities of interest were the “immigrant communities, the Latinx communities, Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities, low-income communities, nail salon worker communities, Pacific Islander communities, [and] uninsured communities” in Orange County. Casillas described his Santa Ana community as being composed of hardworking and responsible people who want the best for their community. In addition, Casillas urged the Board of Supervisors to maintain key and similar Latinx communities like West Anaheim and Santa Ana together, a demand that is reflected in the majority-Latinx District 2. The OC Board of Supervisors approved the new district map on December 7, 2021, which includes the new Latinx-majority district 2 centered on Santa Ana and Anaheim. The county will hold its first primary election using the newly approved districts on June 7, 2022. See the new district map here: https://cob.ocgov.com/sites/cob/files/202112/2nd%20Supervisorial_0.pdf .

All in all, we are proud to recognize the CEA participants and community members who actively engaged in the redistricting process, especially given that this process has historically lacked low community inclusivity despite its strong impact on wellness outcomes. CEA promotorxs continue to partner with residents toward an Orange County that treats everyone equitably and with justice. 

If you would like to participate in our CEA efforts, please contact Hilda Ortiz at hortiz@latinohealthaccess.org  

Food Distribution & Volunteers 

Although people have begun going back to work and getting a regular paycheck many have been hurt by the rising costs of food, gas, household items, and more. Many are not seeing a rise in their wages, making things like a trip to the grocery store anxiety-inducing because of how increasingly expensive it is becoming to put food on the table for a family.

"It has been hard for me to feed my family of 4. I was happy that at least my children were being fed at school and I didn't have to worry about their lunch until one day my aunt told me about the food distribution at LHA. I immediately went on a Friday and the registration process was quick and easy and they're all very nice. I have now been coming for 3 months and I am so happy for the help I've received from LHA" - Graciela, Participant

Our food distribution is increasing in participants who are in dire need of this type of service. Along, with the growing number of participants comes a need for more volunteers to help us distribute food and diapers to people in our community that are in need. 

If you'd like to volunteer please contact our Volunteer Coordinator,

Brenda Cervantes at bcervantes@latinohealthaccess.org. 

Activate Your Health "Activa Tu Salud" 

A day filled with resources and activities for a holistic space for mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. A free-family-focused event.

Activities include a 1 Mile walk, dancing, yoga, zumba, financial literacy, meditation, journaling, etc. 

To volunteer contact:

Brenda Cervantes: bcervantes@latinohealthaccess.org

(714) 542-7792 ext.1037

To sponsor or have a booth at the event or for general questions:

Maria Cervantes: mcervantes@latinohealthaccess.org

(714) 542-7792 ext. 1040

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