Local Latino families and health care and service organizations gathered on a beautiful, sunny Palm Sunday, to participate in the third annual “Celebrate Your Health” (¡Celebra tu Salud!) event at Gettysburg College.
The annual gathering, sponsored by WellSpan Health and organized by Casa de la Cultura, Migrant Education, and Collaborating for Youth, was initially conceived in 2022 by WellSpan health educator Yeimi Gagliardi and Latino community outreach coordinator Grace Bushway from the college’s Center for Public Service to connect the Hispanic community with local health resources in Adams County,
The well attended event featured information tables staffed by local health service organizations offering healthy food samples, literature, introduction to various health care resources and providing guidance on the decision-making process for specific paths to wellness. In addition to providing blood sugar screens and blood pressure monitoring, the topics featured ranged from preventing Lyme disease, tobacco cessation, fitness regimen, to opioid and diabetes education.
Other service organizations were at hand to show the attendees how to access important services, such as migrant education; legal resources; food and nutrition resources; daycare; bi-lingual education; domestic abuse counseling; family activities; news information resources; translation services, and transportation services.
In addition to a well-attended soccer tournament on the lawn outside the Union Building, children enthusiastically participated in games, puzzles, and art stations indoors.
Organizations participating in this year’s event included: Adams County Farmers Market; Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR); Adams County Head Start; Casa de la Cultura; Central Pennsylvania Food Bank; Children’s Health & Nutrition Task Force; Collaborating for Youth; Healthy Adams County; Keystone Health Agricultural Worker Program; Manos Unidas Hispanic American Center; Pennsylvania Department of Health; Pennsylvania Migrant Education; PSU Extension; Vida Charter School; WellSpan Health, and YWCA Safe Home organization.
For more information on health and wellness resources for Spanish speakers, contact Yeimi Gagliardi at Ygagliardi@wellspan.org.
Also present at the event to enlist participants in its news information program were representatives of Pasa La Voz (Spanish for “Spread the Word”). Pasa La Voz is a free, text-based bilingual information outlet created by Gettysburg Connection Community Outreach in partnership with other local agencies to share vital information to Spanish-speaking populations in Adams County and the surrounding area through regular text messages.
Each week, Pasa La Voz subscribers receive news, resources, and other information on issues such as health, housing, education, emergency preparedness, and immigration, and also have the opportunity to share their questions, concerns, and stories on the issues that concern them.
At least four thousand Adams County residents are of Hispanic origin. The Latino community is growing faster than other demographic groups in the county. Information about important health, community activities, education, legal, and other resources is often limited due to language barrier and lack of access to local news outlets. Spanish-language text messages provide a low-cost and effective way to send important news and information to community members. While not everyone has a home computer or email address, nearly everyone has a cell phone.
For more information on the Pasa La Voz program, please contact Chuck Stangor at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org or Donate Gardner at dvbgardner@gmail.com.
Donate Gardner is a freelance writer and journalist who came to Gettysburg from Montgomery County, Maryland. A former linguist-turned-legal professional, Donate recently retired and is eager to support her new community in a variety of ways. She currently serves as the news communicator for the Adams County migrant outreach program, Pasa La Voz and supports various pro bono legal services to migrants in the area.
An immigrant born, raised, and educated in Western Europe, Donate uses her multi-lingual background to maintain connection to other cultures, both as a writer, historical researcher and advocate.
Donate is also an active musician, multi-instrumentalist and award-winning songwriter, enjoying the rich music and arts community in Gettysburg, and supporting traveling musicians coming through the area. Donate can be reached at: dvbgardner@gmail.com.