August 26 to 30 is National Community Health Worker Awareness Week, and we’ve got some of the best in the biz! Adranae describes Community Health Workers as superheroes. They have an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the resources that exist in their communities, and they’re skilled at connecting the right resource to the right person.
“No matter who we deal with—whether it’s someone in our community, someone in our workforce, someone in our family, someone in our church community—we automatically go into CHW mode and start to build those bridges,” she says. “I believe people realize they are CHWs very young. We just are the type of people who navigate life and help close gaps.”
If you think that this kind of committed, community-oriented work sounds like you, Adranae encourages you to participate in CHW training! “If you’re able to get training under your belt, it can lead to professional certification,” she says. “I just went through the class myself last year—I was already a CHW but when I became certified, I felt a whole other level of responsibility.”
We’ll be spotlighting our amazing CHWs on our social media platforms all week! In the meantime, keep an eye out for these upcoming trainings, and next year, we might be celebrating you during National CHW Awareness Week!
- The City of Richmond’s RVA Health Corps AmeriCorps Program is training CHWs and placing participants in locations around the city. This program runs from September 2024 to August 2025 and includes a living stipend and funds for educational expenses.
- The Virginia Community Health Worker Association (VACHWA) begins their next cycle of training on September 16.
- RHHD offers our own CHW Education and Training program three times a year. Our most recent cohort graduated last week! Stay tuned to this newsletter for a registration announcement in the coming months.
| Southwood Resource Center CHWs have included Adranae, Yovaldi Lamoutt, and Mario Martinez. They reunited at the anniversary festivities! |
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