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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CELEBRATING THE 4TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ILLINOIS UNIDOS AND DECLARING COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER DAY
WHEREAS, established in 2020, Illinois Unidos (IL Unidos) is a coalition of 150+ Latinx healthcare providers, policymakers, experts, nonprofits, and leaders; and
WHEREAS, IL Unidos’s mission is to fiercely champion equitable responses and recovery efforts in the face of the profound impact of COVID-19 within the Latinx community; and
WHEREAS, IL Unidos advocated to policymakers and public sectors to acknowledge the COVID-19 impact on the Latinx community after finding out that demographics of the Latinx community were not captured at any level of government; and
WHEREAS, since its inception, IL Unidos has championed four pivotal realms of empowerment and growth: (1) Community Health Worker Training, (2) Culturally Empowered Public Health Education, (3) Capacity Building, and (4) Unyielding Advocacy for Policy Change; and
WHEREAS, through these pillars, IL Unidos has served as a catalyst for important outreach, funding, and policy achievements- one of the most impactful has been the community health worker's (CWH) advancements; and
WHEREAS, CWHs are trusted volunteers, contractors, or employees in association with local healthcare systems and non-profit organizations in communities where health disparities exist; and
WHEREAS, CHWs are vital to the health care system because most of them live within the communities they serve; and
WHEREAS, CHWs share a bond with many of the communities they serve such as ethnicity, language, and the life experiences many face which helps them better understand the needs of their communities; and
WHEREAS, CHWs aren’t just peer health promoters, they are health advisors, outreach educators, community health representatives, and peer health educators; and
WHEREAS, CHWs have been crucial in reducing health disparities, promoting education, and acting as agents of change; and
WHEREAS, this year marked the 4th anniversary of the Illinois Unidos Community Health Worker Day.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby recognize and honor the 4th Anniversary of the Illinois Unidos and Declares May 31, 2024, as Community Health Worker Day; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this text be spread upon the proceedings of this Honorable Body and that a suitable copy of this resolution is presented to the Illinois Unidos in honor of their outstanding achievements and their 4th anniversary.
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