Juntos Podemos
A family-centered program that promotes the adoption of healthy lifestyles in the lower Rio Grande Valley.
Juntos Podemos (Together We Can!) provides Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) to help participants make improvements in diet and exercise, promoting healthy weight among families in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Through culturally and linguistically-appropriate education, the program focuses on healthy nutrition, active lifestyles and reduced screen time. The program targets Latino parents and caregivers of children 8 to 13 years of age, who also qualify to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or other Federal Assistance programs.
Individuals who qualify for the program are identified through outreach conducted by our Community Health Workers. The Community Health Workers inform these individuals about the benefits of healthy nutrition and active lifestyles, and then invite them to participate in the program’s group health education classes.
Juntos Podemos seeks to decrease screen time and emphasize healthy habits!
The program’s classes are led by CHWs, and offered in ninety-minute sessions which meet once weekly for four weeks. Participants receive a healthy snack and perform 15 minutes of physical activity. The classes provide the education and support that participants need to adopt a healthier lifestyle for themselves and their families.
In order to ensure that program services are accessible to individuals who are either receiving, or qualify for SNAP benefits, the classes are offered at multiple locations throughout the community including schools, churches, parks, community centers, and other similar locations.
Juntos Podemos began in July 2017. It is funded by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and offers services in the four counties of the Rio Grande Valley (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy).
