In Idaho, Supporting Peruvian Families in Need
When health advocacy organization Idaho Immunization Coalition (IIC) got word of a housing crisis in rural Blaine County, where 600 families from Peru had moved to in the fall of 2022, the group quickly mobilized staff and partner organizations to help provide food, health services and other resources to the new arrivals in need. Taking the lead, IIC partnered with Idaho State University College of Pharmacy, The Hunger Coalition, and St. Luke's Medical Center to put on two health fairs, one in December 2022 and another in April 2023 in Bellevue, Idaho, at the same location as the daily food giveaway. Peruvian community members who were picking up food boxes could take advantage of free health services, including flu and COVID-19 vaccines as well as blood pressure and cholesterol testing. IIC also brought in Spanish/English interpreters to accompany the families while they received health services. After attending the event in December, one Idaho state legislator was able to pull together the needed resources for a homeless shelter and provide housing for the Peruvian families.
Watch a short video about IIC’s health fairs for Peruvian families here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGE9slohV_A
Read more about IIC’s efforts to provide greater vaccine access to Hispanic communities in Idaho’s rural areas:
https://vaccineresourcehub.org/stories/stories-highlights/covid-19-leading-cause-death-
idahos-hispanic-population
https://vaccineresourcehub.org/stories/all-kings-day-celebration-brings-joy-and-better-health-
communities-idahos-magic-valley