In an effort to address disparities and inequities in communities of color, Public Health Advocates has published a guide to resources available in Boyle Heights for residents during the coronavirus crisis.
The free Boyle Heights Covid-19 Resource Guide was created by the West Covina-based organization – which runs a youth advocacy program at Roosevelt High School – after its members heard from students and families who struggled to find accessible resources. The four-page guide, which can be downloaded here, is currently available in English with a Spanish version in the works.
“The community of Boyle Heights is in our heart,” said Program Manager Belinda Campos, who runs the Healthy Teens on the Move Youth Group (HTOM) at Roosevelt. “Public Health Advocates believes that information should be available to the community regardless of race, age, gender or migratory status.”
The guide provides information on free food resources, at-home learning services for students, free and low-cost tech resources, trusted support for undocumented families, mental and other health services. The document also includes a section focused on the rights of tenants, workers and families.
Roosevelt’s HTOM group is a youth program consisting of dedicated high schoolers. These students share their voice on local health issues by leading advocacy campaigns and projects to improve overall well being at their school, a mission which in part inspired the development of the coronavirus guide for Boyle Heights.
The HTOM program is funded by the California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities-Boyle Heights Health Happens in Schools Initiative. (The Boyle Heights Beat is also partially funded by the BHC-BH.)
