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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 ...
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