HLC January 2006

A free bilingual Family Health Screening and Information Fair will be held on Saturday, March 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center, 1750 – 17th Street in Sarasota. Residents of all ages can take advantage of free health screenings. Blood sugar, blood pressure, body mass, bone density (osteoporosis), hearing, vision, teeth and gums (dental) and foot (podiatry) health screenings will be available. Free HIV and syphilis testing will be available as well. Participants should fast, not eating or drinking anything for 12 hours prior to the time they arrive for the blood sugar (glucose) screening.

Those who attend will also be able to connect with local health, educational youth and social services providers with information in both English and Spanish. Topics include healthy eating, fitness, parenting, youth mentoring programs, elder care, mental health, Alzheimer’s Disease and related memory disorders, cancer early detection and emotional support and education for cancer patients.

This event will also feature door prize drawings, light refreshments and fun activities for children.

For more information, call the Hispanic/Latino Coalition Inc. at (941) 955-5834.

Resource Committee

By B.J. Branson

The Hispanic/Latino Coalition, with the assistance of a grant from Grants-In-Aid, has begun planning for the production of a manual that will help non English-speaking persons access local services that require an intake process. The manual will be printed in Spanish and will be designed to help guide someone, step-by-step, through the process of obtaining those services. The manual will provide as much detail as possible, such as address (with map), hours of operation, who to see, whether an appointment is needed, what documents they should bring, whether they need an interpreter and the basic steps of the intake process. We plan to include copies of intake forms that are translated into Spanish.

The HLC Resource Committee has identified 14 agencies that will initially be in the manual. The agencies selected, many providing services in both north and south county, are those providing assistance for food, shelter, health care, financial aid, education and employment. As the manual is further developed, other agencies may be added. The Committee is in the process of contacting each agency to obtain information for the manual. If the agency’s intake forms are not in Spanish, the Coalition plans to translate them.

If you would like to help with this worthwhile project or would like to donate funds for the publication contact Maria Garcia-Casellas at the Hispanic/Latino Coalition, 955-5834.

Education/Youth Committee

By Yvonne Bras, Committee Chair

The Youth Committee and the Education Committee have joined forces. We will now have a larger group of people available and interested in providing resources, educational workshops, and activities to not only our youth, but to the entire Sarasota County community at large.

Last year the Youth Committee proposed the creation of a “Teen Cultural Competency” workshop, similar to the one offered to adults, but focused and tailored to a younger audience. We are happy to report that we are moving forward with this project thanks to the enormous help of Edna Apostol from Gulfcoast South Area Education Center (AHEC), Estela Curiel of the YMCA Achievers program, Johnnie Bernhart from AHEC, and Yvonne Bras from the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida. We will soon pilot the training workshop which is targeted to reach Junior High School students.

Health Committee

By Jeanie Ocasio-McLain, Committee Chair

You would be hard pressed to think of a disease that has devastated our communities by claiming lives at such an alarming pace in the last 20 years than HIV/AIDS. More over the HIV/AIDS epidemic is increasingly threatening the Hispanic community for various reasons. Many Hispanics, for example, face challenges accessing health care, prevention services, and treatment. In addition a number of social economic and health related factors help intensify the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Hispanic community. Hispanic Americans have roots emigrated from many Latin countries or regions, therefore there is no single Hispanic culture in the United States. Research shows that Hispanics born in different countries have different behavioral risk factors for HIV/AIDS. For instance, data from one report suggest that Hispanics born in Puerto Rico are more likely than other Hispanics to contract HIV as a result of injection drug use, while men born in Mexico are more likely to become infected through sexual contact with other men*.

In addition to the diversity of risk behavior within the Hispanic community other factors exist that contribute to the rampant spread of HIV/AIDS. These factors include poverty, denial, substance abuse, risky sexual practices and the ignorance of consequences of such behavior. Hispanics are about twice as likely as whites to have gonorrhea or syphilis*. Sexually transmitted infections increase the likelihood of HIV transmission. It is a misconception that HIV/AIDS is a disease that affects only homosexuals. Women, for instance, are more likely to be infected with HIV as a result of sex with men*.

There is no doubt that in the United States, Hispanics are emerging as an at-risk group. For this reason there has been a growing emphasis on reaching out to our community with comprehensive services that are accessible to the Hispanic community and unique to their needs. CAN, or community Aid Network, for instance provides medical, social and educational services essential to the health and well being of those infected with the HIV disease. Services include medical treatment, therapy, nutrition, case management, and educational and volunteer programs. Also, CAN provides free and anonymous HIV testing daily available to walk ins at no cost.

Still the emphasis must be on educating our community about this disease, the services available, and the importance of getting tested. On December 3rd of 2005 from 10:00am to 2:00pm, Sarasota and Manatee counties will come together to commemorate World Aids Day by providing a Family Fun Festival at the PALS location at the corner of 12th Avenue and 1st Street in Bradenton. The festival provided an opportunity for families, professionals, and service providers to come together and educate the community about HIV/AIDS. The event included free health screening, educational activities, and information on community services, food, door prizes, as well as entertainment for the whole family.

Alzheimer's Disease

By Sue Fox

Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired thinking memory and behavior. The Alzheimer's Association is dedicated to provide support, education, outreach and training to those who are Caregivers for persons with Alzheimer's Disease. The Alzheimer's Association is also the number one private donator for Alzheimer's research. Other services provided are: Care Consultations, referrals a 24 hour helpline, respite care services, safe return and a memory mobile, which is used to provide services to rural areas. All services are free, with the exception of the safe return program which has a small fee. The Alzheimer Memory Walk for the Sarasota/Manatee area helps to raise money for both services and research. The Memory Walk will be held at 8:00am on March 25th at the Sarasota Jungle Gardens. There are over 28,000 persons who are diagnosed with having Alzheimer's Disease in the Sarasota/Manatee area.

Employment Opportunities

Company:	Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center, Inc. of Sarasota (SPARCC).
Job Description:	SPARCC currently has a full-time job opening for a Bi-lingual Victim Advocate for the shelter 7am-3pm.
Job Requirements:	Bi-lingual (English-Spanish)
Contact Information:	Jeanie Ocasio-McLain, Victim Advocate Coordinator. Please send resumes to Fax (941) 365-4919
Date:	January 9, 2006

Company:	Early Learning Coalition’s Child Care Connection
Job Description:	The Child Care Connection position is responsible for determining eligibility of new families applying for Scholarship childcare and for assisting clients/families in locating quality childcare that meets their needs through the Resource & Referral process, including referring the families to appropriate community resources.
Job Requirements:	Requirements include High School Degree minimum, with at least one year of customer service related experience for entry level. Computer skill required. Social Services experience or Associate’s degree preferred. Fluent in Spanish and English.
Contact Information:	Resumes may be faxed to Child Care Connection at 556-1606, attention Lauren or emailed to lkarabatsos@childcareconnectionsarasota.org.
Date:	December 27, 2005

Free Bilingual Family Health Screening and Information Fair