Virginia communities risk losing community health workers (CHWs) if sustainable funding is unavailable for these positions and programs. CHWs are vital to their communities because they build individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through outreach, education, informal counseling, social support, and advocacy.
On Thursday, January 18, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., the Virginia CHW Association will host a CHW Awareness & Education Day at the General Assembly building. Leaders from all over the state will meet with legislators to discuss the role and impact of CHWs in communities across the Commonwealth. The theme of this event is “I Have a Dream,” to honor Martin Luther King Jr’s emphasis on the power of collective action and community engagement to achieve equality for all.
Join these efforts by registering for the CHW Awareness & Education Day and/or sending a prewritten letter detailing the importance of CHWs’ role to your legislator (You will only need to fill in your information in the template).
To take it a step further, IPHI encourages you to sign up for the CHW Civic Engagement Ambassador Week. IPHI and Transformative Changes host a CHW cohort to create a space for community members to sit at the table, leverage their voices, and influence meaningful change in systems.
For more details, please contact [email protected], [email protected] [email protected].