Enlace Latino NC presents “Guía Sana,” a new health guide designed to respond to the real needs of the Latino community in North Carolina. It is an evolving resource that is continuously updated, built from questions, concerns and experiences shared with ELNC by the community itself.
Fully free and in Spanish, the guide emerged from a process of active listening. That initial phase included messages received through WhatsApp groups and community meetings held in Siler City, Henderson, Asheville, Mount Olive, High Point and Winston-Salem. From those conversations, the Enlace Latino NC team identified the most urgent topics and the main barriers to accessing health information.
“This guide didn’t come from a newsroom — it came from the community. We listened to what people needed to know and worked to provide clear, useful and trustworthy information,” said Paola Jaramillo, co-founder and executive director of Enlace Latino NC. “We want it to be a tool that supports people in their daily lives and continues to grow with them.”
General health information and local resources by county
“Guía Sana” is organized into three main sections.
The first offers general health information useful for people across the state, divided into five thematic areas: access to health care, preventive health, mental health and emotional well-being, reproductive and sexual health, and workplace health, with a special focus on farmworkers.
“Health is one of the areas where misinformation spreads the most, and where the consequences of not having access to reliable information can be the greatest,” said Walter Gómez, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Enlace Latino NC. “With this guide, we aim to help close that gap, with content that is rigorous but easy to understand.”
The second part of the guide compiles local resources by county. In this first phase, it includes information for Buncombe, Chatham, Duplin, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Lee, Mecklenburg, Orange, Sampson and Wake counties. The long-term goal is to expand coverage to all 100 counties in North Carolina.
The third section includes emergency phone numbers, as well as contact information for Latin American consulates in North Carolina.
“We knew general information wouldn’t be enough — often the problem is not knowing where to go or who to call in your own county,” explained Emilia Rivadeneira, the reporter in charge of local resources. “That’s why we did detailed work to identify organizations, clinics and services available in each place.”
Supported by the community
The guide was developed with primary support from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and also received support from local organizations that helped facilitate community meetings. Enlace Latino NC emphasizes that its work is made possible thanks to the backing of these types of partners. Organizations that also supported this project include The Foundation for Healthy High Point, Cone Health Foundation and Report for America.
“This project reflects very well how we work at Enlace: we listen, we report and we give back useful information to the community,” said Nicolás Baintrub, newsletter editor and reporter in charge of the guide. “But it’s also a starting point — the guide will continue to grow and improve with input from those who use it.”
“Guía Sana” is now available on the Enlace Latino NC website and will continue to be updated regularly to adapt to new needs and changes in access to health services across the state.
PODCAST
Después de la tormenta
Hace un año, el huracán Helene golpeó al oeste de Carolina del Norte. La comunidad latina respondió con algo más fuerte que la tormenta: solidaridad.
🎧 En este episodio, conoce cómo las organizaciones latinas transformaron la crisis en resiliencia.
▶️ ¡Dale play para escuchar!
Republique gratuitamente nuestras historias en su website o periódico. Seguimos la licencia de Creative Commons. Dele clic al recuadro, y siga las instrucciones.
