El Centro is pleased to announce the receipt of an $118,000 grant from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City for the “Promotores de Salud Comprando Rico y Sano” program. This program will utilize our current Promotores in Wyandotte and Johnson counties to present a series of radionovelas with a special focus of improving the access of the Limited-English Proficient (LEP) Latino community to farmers markets. This program is one that is entirely new to the Kansas City area and is shown through studies conducted at UCLA to be a most effective way to engage the LEP community and pass along critical information.
Even with all the information about Healthy Communities, the message among many LEP Latinos is still not being heard. Add to that the environmental and logistical challenges of transportation, understanding of what constitutes healthy food, the dearth of grocery stores, and a tight budget, and you have the perfect recipe for maintaining the status quo of unhealthy eating. We have developed a series of radionovelas to reach the LEP Latino population, to be aired on local Spanish-speaking radio stations, reaching populations far beyond the Kansas City Metro borders. This community will be informed about the SNAP program (for those eligible), along with how to use those benefits at their grocery stores and local farmers markets. Families are also challenged to create and serve healthier meals to their families on a limited budget ($5 for four people), using all the sections of the My Plate tool.
The investment in the community to get out this information, having more people use locally-grown produce for better eating, and the potential to stave off the development of chronic diseases for some is priceless. Yet the reach of the radionovelas goes far beyond the audience in Kansas City and can plant a seed for healthier communities across the area.