2009 Annual Report

INTERFAITH HEALTH SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2009
“I joined Interfaith’s Latinas in Action program because it is a group that welcomes Latinas and there are no other groups like it that I have seen. I love to dance and the exercise incorporates my culture’s appreciation for dance in to regular routines. I am able to volunteer with the program to help out with childcare in the summers and to help my mom on program planning. All of the women who take part in it work as teachers and childcare coordinators and volunteers. It is not about someone else telling us what to do, we decide what we want and then work for our goals. The program has great guest speakers, resource guides and a place for Latinas to grow and talk about family, education, work and the community.”
Mari, Latinas in Action
Participant 2003-Present

Interfaith Health Service (IHS) is a successful collaborative effort of hope and healing based in South Omaha. In 1997, IHS began as a coalition of congregations, health care providers, community agencies and college personnel seeking to promote health and make a difference in a community that is often overlooked and is at-risk for poor health outcomes.

The mission of IHS is to enhance human dignity by identifying, providing, improving and coordinating services to meet the health and wellness needs of people within the South Omaha community. Board members for IHS include representatives from Creighton University, Grace Lutheran Church, the Latinas in Action Program, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Methodist College, Metropolitan Community Church, St. Martin of Tours Church and Trinity Cathedral.

Now beginning its 6th year, Interfaith’s Latinas in Action Program continues to work closely with Latina women and their families. The success of Interfaith programming in South Omaha has received inquires on developing similar programs in western Nebraska and on the east and west coasts. Interfaith and Latinas in Action gained National recognition in being chosen to receive the Health Innovation in Prevention Award from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Latinas in Action is true a catalyst for change, education and health promotion.

Latinas in Action combines health education classes and exercise programs that are designed and led by Latina women. Meeting the needs of participants, childcare is provided on site by a staff of Latina women, both paid and voluntary. Trained Latina Health Promotoras/Health Workers are on site for each class to assist in appropriately referring participants seeking additional resources and information. Promotoras also assist in health screenings and in educational presentations. Health education topics include cardiovascular health, nutrition, diabetes, domestic violence, breast health and self-examination, family safety and other health topics. Classes also offer health screenings and baseline physiological indicators, and instruction of self-monitoring target and resting heart rate.

Women in the Latina community make many of the health and wellness decisions in their family. Women are mostly responsible for choosing the food the family eats and finding the activities the family participates in together. Interfaith recognizes this important influence within the family and has used this knowledge to design a program that creates healthy opportunities for change. Targeting at-risk Latina women and their families in this unique outreach effort has yielded successes well beyond original goals.

Latinas in Action participants come together to support one another and develop healthier lifestyles. There have been very few health and wellness programs serving the Latina community that have seen such growth and success.

Latinas in Action classes are held in neighborhood churches, community centers or neighborhood parks – trusted, close and safe spaces for Latina families. The women create a family-like atmosphere and take turns caring for younger children. Older children attend and spend time with staff on activities and team building. These positive relationships have long-lasting impact on these young minds. Children get to see their mothers and other members of their community take care of themselves and will, hopefully, shape this lesson into their own lives.

As a result of on-going health education, 100% of participants reported at least one behavioral or physiological change, including weight loss, stress reduction, decreased cholesterol, elimination of depression, regular monitoring of blood pressure and reducing salt, sugar and fat content in food preparation. Attendance records also indicate that at least 80% of participants who join continue to participate. Most importantly, women are reporting how they are using information provided in classes to teach their children in the home. Participants report that Latinas in Action has empowered them to take on new challenges with increased confidence. This indicates a change in motivation and possibly a decrease in feelings of depression, isolation and despair.

Approximately 75% of the women taking part in the program work outside the home, 85% have children and 75% are enrolled in English classes, thus indicating that the women served by the program are highly motivated and engaged. Participants in the program state that the program helps them combat depression, isolation and increases self-esteem. Participants are now starting to give back to the community through food donations and volunteering at other non-profit agencies.

IHS is well known within the South Omaha community as an outstanding collaborating organization with a proven ability to build highly successful programs by responding to community needs. Programming ideas originate with participants themselves and this is the cornerstone of Interfaith‘s tremendous success. Creighton University is a natural partner with IHS and all Latinas in Action sites are approved community health rotation sites for nursing students. Interfaith also works directly with faculty members and graduate students from New York’s Columbia University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Nebraska at Omaha where Interfaith is an approved Master‘s in Public Health placement site, and the College of Saint Mary’s on projects involving health disparity issues in minority populations. Methodist College of Nursing also partners with IHS, providing both faculty and student support for programs.

Interfaith continued developing a partnership with Arts for All, a community-based effort offering musical, artistic and creative classes to minority families in its new location in South Omaha. This year, Interfaith was pleased to develop a new partnership with Pixan, a group dedicated to educational outreach for Guatemalan immigrants in South Omaha. As a collaborating partner with Pixan, Interfaith offers health education to over 50 families enrolled in literacy and GED programs each month. Latinas in Action was asked to serve as a mentoring organization in helping the newly organized Guatemalan community in South Omaha develop additional literacy and health education programs for Latinas and Guatemalans.

Latinas in Action was approached by the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) in North Omaha and asked to replicate its Latinas in Action Zumba Program for teenage high school students. Latinas in Action’s staff taught a semester long intensive Zumba program to over 40 African American students on the YEP academic campus site.

Latinas in Action staff was also invited to offer Zumba camps for children ages 8-12 during the summer months. The camps were filled to capacity and will continue next year.

Latinas in Action participants are committed to volunteering within the program and donate financially even though most have limited financial means. In fact, participant contributions to the program doubled this year, in spite of the economic downturn faced thought the United States. Participants are also committed to giving back within the community by donating time and expertise to local schools and community based programs. Latinas in Action participants also organize regular donations of food, baby clothing and toys for families who have lost their primary care giver due to accident or injury.
Participants also began a micro-business this year, thanks to a donation of over a dozen designer wedding dresses from Wells Fargo Bank. Members of Latinas in Action are responsible for sewing and alterations on dresses and have begun selling the dresses through partnerships with consignment shops in South Omaha. Proceeds from the micro-business will be used to for additional sewing materials and Latinas in Action classes.

Interfaith is grateful for the financial support of different organizations and foundations. Without this support, our work would not be possible. The William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation was the first significant Foundational support Interfaith received and the Foundation continues to provide on-going support for programming and expansion. IHS was honored to receive grant support from Thrivent for Lutherans for programming focusing on Latina women and families. The Nebraska Office of Minority Health also support Interfaith through a minority health grant. Interfaith also received a health education grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation this year. Grace Lutheran Church continues to donate office space for Latinas in Action Promotoras and staff and programming space for educational classes. Rev. Dr. Damon Laaker, President of Interfaith’s Board of Directors, continues to donate his time and skills in over-seeing IHS staff.

Interfaith looks forward to continued success and programming excellence while working side by side with our participants, staff, Board members and numerous partnering organizations in the year ahead.

Virginia McGill, MA
Interfaith Health Service