Collaboration Means Growth

Originally published at the New Jersey Health Initiatives Website.

At the Hammonton Health Coalition, we continue to expand our reach and collaborate with other organizations. The pandemic has obviously brought new and challenging issues to the communities we serve and one of our main priorities as a coalition is making sure they have access to the information they need, and that the information is in a language they can understand. In December, the team of Hammonton Health Coalition Connectors worked together with a coalition partner, CATA – The Farmworkers Support Committee, to make individual calls to the Latino community. During these calls, the Connectors shared information on workers’ rights and protections related to the pandemic and invited people to participate in CATA’s training on these topics. The Connectors made almost 300 calls to Hammonton residents with this information, and 50 people signed up for the training.

Through this approach, community members received important information on how to protect their own health and that of their families while they continue to go to work during the pandemic.

The Connectors also worked with Cross County Connection, a group supporting our South Jersey communities by providing local transportation options where public transportation isn’t available. Cross County Connection operates a community shuttle that serves residents of Hammonton and Egg Harbor Township. The Connectors helped to translate their flyers and information into Spanish to be more accessible to the Latino community. The Connectors were also able to familiarize themselves with a new organization and learn about its services, which they shared with the Hammonton community. Transportation is an important issue to the communities that we work with in Hammonton because it gives people mobility and access to the services and support that they need.

The Hammonton Health Coalition’s work focuses on fostering collaborations to help all residents improve their physical and psychological health. These are two examples of the work being done. Since the pandemic started, the coalition has also been working to translate important information into Spanish and doing outreach to make sure people know where to find the resources and support they need during these difficult times.

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In 2016 Allies in Caring (AIC) co-initiated the Hammonton Health Coalition (HHC). The Coalition is an initiative led by 13 cross-sector organizations in South Jersey. Its mission is to help residents improve their mental and physical health by implementing creative programs that recognize and take advantage of Hammonton’s unique social, economic, and natural resources.