Central Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) &
Collegiate School of Medicine and Biosciences (CSMB) High Schools... From Us to You
October 25, 2022
The St Louis Community Health Worker Coalition is working avidly with partners across the region to devise a coordinated, multifaceted response to the recent events.
Please stay on the lookout for communication to come sharing
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our response plans in more detail,
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opportunities to engage and support – both as CHWs and system leaders-
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as well as request to share resources and partner, where applicable.
For those looking to engage more readily,
please see details on 2 events happening both today and tomorrow that were shared with us:
What: Prayer Vigil to End Gun Violence
Where: Union Avenue Christian Church (733 Union Blvd St Louis, MO 63108)
When: Tuesday, October 25th at 7pm
What: Official Balloon Release/Candlelight Vigil
Where: Central VPA High School (3125 S. Kingshighway Blvd St. Louis, MO 63139)
When: Wednesday, October 26th at 6:30 PM
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Yellow, Black and White Balloons welcomed
October 25, 2022
PrepareSTL: A COVID-19 Regional Response Strategy
November 04, 2021
“I see those posters everywhere. We canvassed . . . . I still go to a place like oh . . . they were here,” said a campaign canvasser. “People who I hadn’t even, like, talked about the campaign with . . . knew what the campaign was when they saw . . . my yard sign or something,” confirmed another respondent. “I think that that left a big emotional, big psychological impact to show that, hey, we got us,”
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Abstract
People of color are suffering and dying from COVID-19 at greater rates than the general population. Additionally, population-level health interventions can worsen health disparities by
failing to reach already underserved populations.
In response, PrepareSTL, a collaborative, community-led campaign, aims to reach communities of color in St. Louis with accessible information and resources to stop the spread of the coronavirus among the target audiences and help these communities survive the virus’s
adverse social and economic impacts.
This study (1) analyzes factors contributing to the success of PrepareSTL as a community-led and
equity-centered response to COVID-19 and (2) identifies lessons from the campaign that could apply to other public health initiatives. Semi-structured qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with thirty-five individuals, including campaign volunteers, canvassers,
organizers, and executive leaders.
Through a combination of content and narrative analysis, the research team identified several key strategies that led to the success of the campaign. These methods included pairing broad media messaging with personal outreach, engaging community champions as campaign messengers, centering relationships and trusting Black and Brown leadership at all campaign levels,
and creating a highly responsive, community-driven management structure.
Combined, these factors allowed the campaign to not only respond to urgent COVID-19-related needs, but also, to build community outreach infrastructure to address ongoing needs
for communities of color in the St. Louis region.
Citation:
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Amanda Harris, Brittini “Ree Belle” Gray, Ciearra Walker & Melinique W. Castellanos, Lessons Learned from Community-Driven Responsiveness During COVID-19, 14 St. Louis U. J. Health L. & Pol’y (2021).
The full article can be downloaded here:
March 20, 2020
PrepareSTL
is a communications and outreach campaign
focused on the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It provides vital information and resources
to low-to-moderate income Black Americans and People of Color
who live in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County,
helping these communities stop the spread of the coronavirus
and survive its adverse impacts.
For resources click here
Gun Violence in our Neighborhoods
August 18, 2018
Community Living, Community Driven
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On August 18, 2018 in honor of National Health Week, the Community Health Worker Coalition hosted a neighborhood health and wellness block fair on the corner of N. Grand and Sullivan. That same day, during the hours of the event, a man by the name of Armond Latimore was shot and killed across the street – on his 17th birthday. While he was not attending the Coalition event, and the shooting was not connected to our activities, the undeniable proximity called for intentional response. The health and well-being of our community and neighbors remain our top priority.
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Immediately, health fair guest were marshalled inside the building for safety and tended to for immediate needs. Within 72 hours of the shooting, members of the CHW Coalition took to the streets of the surrounding blocks to check in on neighbors and health fair guests who may have been present at the event or affected vicariously. During the canvass CHWs passed out immediate resources and offered neighbors access to free counseling from a network partner. We are also thankful to one of our board members who opened their organizational doors to the family and hosted the memorial. This tragedy remains present in the ‘why and how’ behind the approach of the Coalition.
NOTE: The CHW Coalition is not a crisis response agency, we respond to immediate need.​