Each year, from September 15 to October 15, our nation observes National Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, celebrating the rich histories, vibrant cultures, and invaluable contributions of American citizens of Hispanic or Latinx descent whose work has profoundly shaped our society.
This year, we invite you to join us in celebrating by exploring the efforts of the Latinx Dream Coalition and learning about our local contributions. The Latinx Dream Coalition, established in March 2021, is dedicated to addressing health disparities within the Latinx community by engaging Spanish-speaking youth, parents, and community in a prevention education and action project led by their members.
Our coalition’s mission is to transform the culture and context surrounding the acceptability of alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco use among Latinx youth (grades 6-12 years), parents, and communities. We aim to achieve this through culturally appropriate education, tools, and services designed to reduce harm, empower families, and promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our goal is to encourage drug-free youth while achieving equity and justice within our communities.
The Latinx Dream Coalition has made significant strides in these efforts. We have successfully continued our Prevention Ambassadors program for three years, engaging 25 parents and 15 youth for 2024 cohort. Our members and staff have facilitated three “Guiding Good Choices” sessions, conducted in Spanish, and reached over 75 parents and youth. In collaboration with the Seattle Fire Department, we have facilitated Spanish-language CPR and overdose prevention training for more than 20 community members.
Our efforts also include conducting bilingual Naloxone webinar, also, partnering with local Spanish-speaking community-based organizations, and hosting a Latinx Health Fair. We have supported town hall events, participated in Prevention Policy Day and Latino Legislative Day at the state capitol, and attended the Latino Youth Leadership Conference in Yakima with six students, chaperones, and staff in Spring of 2024. We recognized the risk of accidental overdoses, reason why we distributed over 200+ medication lock boxes during our community health resource fairs.
If you are interested in joining our efforts, we gather online twice a month—on the last Monday from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and on the last Wednesday from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. We encourage you to connect with us and contribute to our mission of fostering a healthier, more equitable community for all. To join the coalition, please contact Jonny Fernandes-Trujillo, jonnyf@nhwa.org or Lilly Castro, lillyc@nhwa.org.
Please follow our activities calendar in our website https://www.latinxdreamcoalition.org/