Promotores in Action: Advocacy in Washington, D.C.

Our delegation of promotoras, CHWs and community based organizations representing communities in multiple states and across various sectors including healthcare, social services, education, public health and more identified workforce and various policy priorities needing urgent attention and support from congressional representatives. Visión y Compromiso has supported two delegations of promotoras to advocate in Washington DC (September 2022 and January 2023). These delegations work tirelessly at the frontlines and are equipped with first-hand insight, testimonies and critical policy advocacy recommendations to support healthy and thriving communities in their respective communities and states. They carry the voices of the most systemically vulnerable and underserved communities and are equipped with powerful testimonies and urgent policy and systems change priorities.

These delegations had two advocacy goals; the first goal was to inform representatives and staff about the critical roles of the promotora and CHW workforce and their impact across various issue areas. The second goal was to relationship-build and better understand representatives’ priorities in order to find areas of alignment where promotoras can engage in policy development through their critical role as puentes de la comunidad, community bridges. 

In the span of two days, promotoras, CHWs and CBOs from four states, hosted a Promotora and CHW reception with fourteen congressional offices in attendance, attended twelve meetings with congressional representatives and staff, made forty-seven congressional office drop-in visits and attended the Families USA Health Action Conference where delegation members volunteered, presented in sessions, tabled, performed and co-hosted a CHW/P roundtable.

Our delegation looks forward to the diligent follow-up ahead. We will be working with representatives and their DC and in-district teams in various capacities including coordinating in-district meetings, attending listening sessions, participating in congressional hearings, conducting education and training and continuing to build awareness about the Promotora and CHW workforce. As our advocacy efforts grow, we will continue to grow our local and national networks and partners to continue to strengthen relationships among promotoras across the nation.

January 2023 Advocacy Video Coming Soon!