Latino Community Assn. will use $75,000 to help families affected by COVID-19
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Latino Community Association will use $75,000 in health equity funds to help Central Oregon families cope with disruptions to income, schooling and health status due to the coronavirus.
Oregon Latinx Leadership Network (OLLN), a statewide group that formed last spring, awarded the grant to LCA in late November.
Of that amount, $5,000 is earmarked for COVID-19 testing, in partnership with Mosaic Medical and other providers. $10,000 will provide headsets for school kids from kindergarten through 12th grade to help minimize distractions and improve their online learning.
The remaining funds will support LCA’s ongoing aid to workers who lose income due to the pandemic or need to quarantine after exposure to the coronavirus.
Currently, three LCA employees are trained to contact people who have been exposed and offer wraparound support such as delivering groceries to them and helping with their rent or mortgage.
“Our funds are for culturally-responsive community engagement, education, and wraparound support that help address the inequitable impacts of COVID-19 in Latinx and Indigenous populations in Oregon,” wrote the OLLN funders. “We believe [Latino Community Association] is positioned to respond to the need to make our communities healthier and safer.”
About Latino Community Association
Since 2000, the Latino Community Association (LCA) has been empowering Latino families and children and building bridges across cultures to create a more resilient Central Oregon. In partnership with caring individuals, businesses, community organizations and public agencies, LCA remains committed to ensuring full participation of Latinos in our communities. Programs of LCA include: Workforce Education and Training, Family Empowerment, Healthy Families, Youth Rising and Cultural Enrichment. Its services impact more than 8,000 people every year. For more information or to join LCA, visit www.latinocommunityassociation.org or call 541.382.4366.
