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Cesar Chavez Celebration of Mesa County Awarded $2,000 to Share Videos of Mesa County Locals’ Barriers to Wellness
MESA COUNTY, Colo. — Dedicated in name and efforts to the work of civil rights leader and labor activist Cesar Chavez, the Cesar Chavez Celebration of Mesa County is an organization whose goal it is to assist farm workers and the overall community, diminishing the negative factors that can affect the social determinants of health (SDOH), which determine an individual’s capacity for health, wellbeing and longevity. Because of these efforts, Cesar Chavez Celebration of Mesa County was awarded $2,000 by the Colorado Equity Compass (CEC) to uplift the voices of the people served by the organization throughout the county.
“We will hire a videographer to do oral history of our community, where individuals would discuss the issues they have faced within the SDOH. We would have youth discuss how not having a positive outdoor space hinders them, discuss stories on how individuals feel their communities have been neglected, stories of the LGBTQ+ community, BIPOC communities and discuss the power of culture and the gifts and burdens we carry,” Cesar Chavez Celebration of Mesa County representatives say.
Many stories will come from the Grand Junction and Clifton areas. “Since there is such a divide in the U.S., our committee wants to take photos of different groups of individuals, to show it is not about party or money it is about all people. We would love to have cultural stories involved also,” organizers went on. “The CEC is pleased to support this oral history and general community wellness project by the Cesar Chavez Celebration of Mesa County,” says CEC Project Lead Dr. Rachele Espiritu. "The story products created in the coming months will allow the public to better understand how the SDOH deeply affect a community’s opportunities for long-term health and quality of life.”
These products can be found below:
About Cesar Chavez Celebration of Mesa County Cesar Chavez Celebration of Mesa County's mission is to remind others that we share a common humanity and all have an equal opportunity to have healthy productive lives. Additionally, we want individuals to understand and celebrate Cesar Chavez’s dedication to assist all farm workers in reaching equity and pride in their heritage. About the Colorado Equity Compass Across Colorado, communities are facing inequities that impact their health and wellbeing. Different factors, including systemic racism, a lack of affordable housing, and environmental concerns, contribute to these inequities.
As a project of The Colorado Trust, CEC helps communities — and the organizations that serve them — better understand these issues and advocate for change using data and stories. This work consolidates diverse resources, connects peers, and both aligns and empowers communities and institutions via its Equity Data Navigator. The model showcases inequities and the social determinants of health (SDOH) across communities. CEC also serves as a hub for community storytelling and information-sharing.
For more information and to view the Equity Data Navigator, visit coequitycompass.org. For media inquiries, contact CEC at [email protected].