Culture Of Health - Advancing Together

CULTURE OF HEALTH - ADVANCING TOGETHER'S VISION IS TO BUILD A HEALTHY COMMUNITY THAT IS SELF-SUFFICIENT AND MEETS THE EVERYDAY CHALLENGES OF LIVING IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY.

OUR REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT SUPPORT PROGRAMS INCREASED FOCUS ON HEALTHCARE ACCESS FOR THE COMMUNITY. OUR EFFORTS WERE DESIGNATED TOWARD TWO MAIN GOALS, TO PROMOTE AWARENESS ABOUT THE 2020 CENSUS THROUGH LOCAL COLLABORATION AND TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE NECESSARY HEALTH AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. WE CONDUCTED SURVEYING OF THE POPULATION AND CREATED MURALS WITH BOTH CENSUS AND COVID-19 SPECIFIC MESSAGING THAT WERE IN ADDITION TO OUR GULFTON STORY TRAIL. WE PROMOTED BOTH GOALS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AS WELL AS IN-PERSON VISITS AND EVENTS WITHIN THE GULFTON COMMUNITY. WE CONDUCTED HEALTH FAIRS AND DELEGATED OUR MARKETING AND GRANTS TEAM TO FOCUS ON WRITING GRANTS THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR INCREASED FUNDING TOWARD OUR HEALTH PROGRAMS FOR THE YEAR TO COME.

REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS GENERALLY STRUGGLE WITH ENGLISH AND DUE TO LIMITED TEACHER TIME AND RESOURCES, REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT CHILDREN DO NOT RECEIVE THE HELP THEY NEED IN THE CLASSROOM. ACCORDING TO THE HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, ONLY 1 IN 24 CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO FREE AND SAFE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING. DUE TO THIS LACK OF SUPPORT, IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE CHILDREN FACE RISK OF BULLYING, GANG PARTICIPATION AND OTHER HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS. THERE IS A HUGE NEED FOR AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL. COUNTLESS STUDIES HAVE FOUND THAT STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS HAVE IMPROVED RATES OF SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, SCORE HIGHER ON TESTS IN ALL SUBJECTS, AND HAVE LOWER CRIMINAL ACTIVITY RATES. CHAT ACADEMY IS AN ONGOING, YEAR-ROUND ENRICHMENT PROGRAM TAKING PLACE DURING THE FALL, SPRING, AND SUMMER SEMESTERS. IT HAS A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY FOCUS, AND INCLUDES ENGLISH, MATH, AND ALL SUBJECTS' SKILL SUPPORT, AS WELL AS ENRICHMENT, AND PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH COMPONENTS. IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE PARENTS FEEL STRESSED IN HELPING THEIR KIDS WITH THEIR SCHOOLWORK DUE TO LACK OF EDUCATION OR LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES. OUR DE DICATED TUTORS ASSIST THE STUDENTS WITH HOMEWORK AND CROSS-SECTORAL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES. IF THE STUDENT'S NATIVE LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH, CHAT CAN PROVIDE TUTORING IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE, AND HELP BUILD A CHILD'S (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O, STATEMENT 1)

OTHER MULTIFACETED IMMIGRANT SUPPORT PROGRAMS INCLUDE ESL FOR WOMEN, GIRLS' CLUB, AND OTHER INDIVIDUALIZED ASSISTANCE AS NEEDED. THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS, CHAT IS ABLE TO IMPROVE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING BY REDUCING ISOLATION, FACILITATING ACCULTURATION, AND CONNECTING RESOURCES UNLIKE ANY OTHER EXISTING ORGANIZATION IN HOUSTON.