Sharareh Motamed

Established in 2000, Visión y Compromiso (VyC) is dedicated to improving the health and well being of under resourced and underrepresented communities by providing support, training and leadership development to promotoras and other grassroots community leaders (collectively referred to herein as “promotores”) throughout California. At the center of VyC’s programs is the promotor model, a model for community transformation accepted among Latino communities (The Promotor Model: A Framing Paper, 2011). Promotores develop trusting relationships and share personal experiences, information and resources in culturally and linguistically relevant ways drawing from people’s own strengths in order to transform their communities into healthier, more vibrant places for all families to live, work and play. Trusted community members, they are natural leaders – “go to” people in their neighborhoods – who are characterized by their servicio de corazón (heartfelt service). They share the ethnicity, language, cultural traditions, socioeconomic status, and life experiences of the communities they serve and provide information, resources and culturally and linguistically relevant outreach and education. Promotores may be paid staff or volunteer community workers and are known by many titles (e.g., peer educator, community health worker, community educator, outreach worker, systems navigator, patient liaison); they are expert at promoting changes in life-long health habits. With decades of experience engaging “hard to reach” residents, promotores are first-responders serving immigrant and undocumented communities, migrant workers, homebound seniors, childcare providers, etc.