The Promotora Network
Engagement specialist we call promotoras are the backbone of the organization. They are the heart and soul of the CCC and the community leaders responsible for community engagement
Who are the Promotoras
Promotoras have the potential to build a bridge between important resources and the Latinx community. A Promotora is a trusted community member and leader who works in the community helping neighbors navigate complex systems (i.e. education, health, housing etc.) and reach the resources they need in their native language, culture, and on a personalized timeframe to take care of themselves and their families. Our promotoras are community residents and from immigrant families. Of our 14 promotoras, seven are adults and 7 are youth. Most promotoras live in Montbello or attend school in Montbello. Their background is essential for the work they do; our approach leverages the experiences that these promotoras have in getting to know the community needs deeply, being able to build trust with others who have gone through similar experiences, and to be creative in developing solutions for the problems they see around them.
What is Their Role?
Our promotoras are all community members that participate in an educational training program where they learn to leverage their community knowledge and acquire tools to address the root causes of social injustices in the community. The ultimate goal is for promotoras to share their knowledge with others and organize their community through their own right. We seek collective success and community transformation from the ground up.
Expansion of the Promotora Network in Colorado
The work of Promotoras has been taking place for decades. CCC acknowledges the history, significance, and impact Promotoras have had on advancing health and social justice in the Latinx community. CCC is creating an infrastructure in Denver that will support the work of local Promotoras.
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CCC is working to create a program for promotoras that will help develop and train local leaders so that they have the necessary skills to work in different areas and thus be able to link to systems in a more effective way. At CCC we have a saying, “dale vuelta a la tortilla” which means “turn the tortilla” we are burned enough on the one hand by the injustices that have been impacting us from birth. We are ready to turn this around and start something new.
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