From School Supplies To Essential Shots. Helping Kids Start The School Year Strong.

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Comic Relief US joins Latino Memphis' Esthela Rios as she helps families get back-to-school ready.

For Esthela Rios, her work at Latino Memphis is more than just a job—it’s a chance to connect with her culture and community and heal her inner child. “I see myself in the children of our clients, and I see my mom in our clients,” she shares. “I want to create a space and opportunities for people like my mom by making sure that [the kids and families] are being treated as I would have liked to be treated when I was younger.” This deep personal connection fuels her dedication to the community she serves.

As the largest Latino-serving nonprofit in western Tennessee, Latino Memphis serves as a vital hub for social services in the region. As the Program Director of Tu Salud ('Your Health'), Esthela works with a team of community health workers, known as Promotoras de Salud, helping to scale the organization’s programming to new heights.

These community health workers help connect families to essential health services and benefits—many of which they may not even know they are eligible for. 'A lot of our families can maximize or take advantage [of programs], but sometimes they run into issues even getting in the door. That’s where the promotoras come in, helping to make that direct link,' explains Esthela.

The organization provides culturally sensitive and relevant programs in essential areas like immigrant services, healthcare, and educational support. With a bilingual staff and wrap-around services, they make it easy for low-income families to access a wide range of support. 'Many of our clients have recently arrived [in the U.S.] and don’t know where to begin,' says Esthela. As a first-generation Mexican American, she believes their team’s ability to relate to and connect with clients is crucial to providing effective support. 'Our lived experiences inform our programming, which is not always the case for other agencies. Having that personal touch and cultural connection makes our clients feel welcomed and open to asking for what they truly need,' Esthela continues.

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Supporting the needs of the whole family is a strong component of the Latino Memphis wrap-around service approach. Every month, they host various workshops at their offices. ”This is a place where they can bring their children, they’ll learn, they'll be safe, and they’ll feel dignified,” says Esthela. The nutrition workshops in particular are a project close to her heart, as they offer a platform to address an issue she is deeply passionate about; food insecurity. “While some parts of the city, like East Memphis, have multiple grocery stores within close proximity, areas like South and North Memphis lack access to stores offering healthy and nutritious food,” she explains.

Another program led by Esthela's team involves partnering with the Shelby County Health Department to provide free vaccines for kids. 'At today’s event, the team is administering immunizations needed for kids starting school, so that they can enroll because it's a requirement, while also providing school supplies,' Esthela explains. 'That's one less thing that their parents have to worry about.' Esthela and her team focus on minimizing barriers by using accessible platforms like text and social media for outreach and by hosting events in the neighborhood and on weekends to increase accessibility for working parents. 'We want to make sure that whatever we do, we're not creating any more barriers. That's why we go to the food pantries and host our health fair here—we go to where people already are.

Many of the *promotoras* are from the community, making them uniquely equipped to bridge the gap between various service providers and families. 'They help partners communicate with clients at events, or run kids’ activities,' explains Esthela. Dana [pictured above] is a Latino Memphis community health worker who also works as a health educator at Vanderbilt University, allowing her to bring relevant experience to her work. 'I really trust her with the kids, and I know she is very engaging with them…she just knows how to talk to them and get them moving and make it really fun,' she elaborates.

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With your support from campaigns like Kids Relief and Red Nose Day, Comic Relief US can support organizations like Latino Memphis that provide access to food pantries, digital literacy programs, healthcare services, and so much more. Donate today and help families start the school year strong.

From School Supplies To Essential Shots. Helping Kids Start The School Year Strong.

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