MHP Salud has been awarded $15,000 in funding by the Knapp Community Care Foundation to provide COVID-19 emergency care supplies to hundreds of our project participants that reside in the Rio Grande Valley. The funding will allow Community Health Workers (CHWs) to prepare kits with face masks, hand sanitizer, a water bottle, mesh bags, educational materials, and other vital supplies. Over the next few months, CHWs will arrange contactless drop-offs so that each of their participants receives a kit.

The relief is much needed as Texas has the third-highest number of COVID-19 cases in the United States.¹ Additionally, areas like the Rio Grande Valley are particularly vulnerable because of the lack of community resources and the significant health barriers residents face due to cultural, social, and economic differences.

MHP Salud has addressed these barriers through CHW-led projects for over 35 years. CHWs have proven to be effective at improving health outcomes by utilizing their close relationships with community members and their knowledge and understanding of the culture within their communities. As such, they are uniquely qualified to handle the responsibility of providing education and safety information during these challenging times.

Knapp Community Care Foundation was created in the fall of 2012 and works towards its mission of serving the Mid-Valley community by funding organizations that provide projects, programs, and activities that impact, improve and sustain the long term health of residents in Mid-Valley communities.

MHP Salud promotes the Community Health Worker (CHW) profession nationally as a culturally appropriate strategy to improve health and implements CHW programs to empower underserved Latino communities. If your organization is looking to start and/or strengthen your own CHW programs, visit our CHW Training & Consulting Services page to learn more about how we can help.

1. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases