Center For Latino Health Teams With Bloomfield Churches, Seniors

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — An underserved and vulnerable population in Bloomfield will get a welcome boost thanks to a $23,000 grant from the Essex County-based Partners for Health Foundation.

The grant will help the Center of Excellence for Latino Health (CELH) at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville to launch a series of health education programs and services at several Bloomfield churches and senior centers.

According to Clara Maass Medical Center, working with the Bloomfield Department of Health and Human Services, the Center of Excellence for Latino Health will provide free monthly blood pressure and glucose screenings to 300 Bloomfield residents.

The partnership will also establish ministries in local churches to offer health and wellness resources, and teach church and senior center members how to access and prepare healthy food, Clara Maass administrators stated.

The Center of Excellence for Latino Health also plans to provide bilingual educational materials/cookbooks and offer training on how to use the internet to find accurate sources of health information, organizers said.

Participation in the program is free, regardless of denomination, administrators said.

Interested churches and senior centers can reach out to Sarah Bonilla, the program manager for the Center of Excellence for Latino Health at 973-450-2996 or Sarah.Bonilla@rwjbh.org.

According to a statement from Clara Maass:

“The Latino population is disproportionately affected by certain conditions and illnesses, including hypertension, pregnancy-associated complications, breast cancer and diabetes. The Center of Excellence for Latino Health partners with local schools, faith-based groups, civic leaders, government agencies and other organizations to help underserved families overcome barriers to healthcare, such as inadequate or no insurance coverage, the high cost of care and the lack of available services.”

Bonilla said the grant will create an “amazing opportunity” for the center to promote brighter, healthier futures within the Latino community that it serves.

“As a person of Latina heritage, there are many health issues affecting my community that can be addressed through health education and empowering our community to implement small, but important changes to reverse illness such as selecting healthy food options, modifying portion sizes and including exercise as part of ones’ daily routine,” Bonilla said.

“This grant will help the center to share messages of good health to an even larger segment of our community,” Bonilla added.

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