VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A nonprofit in Volusia County is working to bridge the gaps in language and cultural barriers, as well as poverty levels, to bring health care to Hispanics who need it most.

Hispanic Health Initiatives addresses the unmet health needs of Hispanics and other medically disadvantaged populations in Volusia County.

What You Need To Know

  • Hispanic Health Initiatives is a nonprofit that addresses the unmet health needs of Hispanics and other medically disadvantaged populations in Volusia County

  • The organization started offering health services for chronic disease awareness screenings in 2000 

  • The group partners with Stetson Baptist Church in DeLand in a joint effort — offering free healthy food options like fruits, vegetables and meats and at the end of the line, residents can check their health

  • They educate patients on blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and their body mass index

“They start coming in at 11:30 (a.m.) or so to make the line,” community health worker Tatiana Cruz said. “We see a lot of people come through.”

Hispanic Health Initiatives started offering health services for chronic disease awareness screenings in 2000, Executive Director Peter Willems said.

“We try to get out in the community and serve the community with certain needs that they may have,” he said.

But he quickly realized they needed to do more.

“And then we saw that there’s also a need now for food,” Willems said. “So, we expanded to do this once-a-month mobile pantry that we partner with, with Stetson Baptist Church here, to provide services for the community.” 

The organization offers free healthy food options like fruits, vegetables and meats — and at the end of the line, residents can check their health.

“To educate them on blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and their BMI (body mass index),” Cruz said. “So, we screen them right here. We educate them, and then they can be on their way.”

Cruz said in the population they serve, they see two main chronic diseases, obesity and diabetes.

Lana Williams and her husband come regularly to the food distributions and the health screenings. The process is simple, filling out a form and then getting their blood pressure and sugar levels checked.

“We kind of establish our relationship with them,” Cruz said. “We get to know them, and we get so happy with their progress.”

Cruz gets all their numbers and talks to them about their diet and healthy habits to follow.

“It’s a nice, routine check for me, and it’s something I need, so they did a fabulous job,” Williams said.

Some families prioritize taking care of their loved ones and forget about their own health needs, organization team members said.

“We are so focused on providing financially for our families and spending time with our families that we don’t necessarily take care of ourselves,” Cruz said.

That’s why the organization puts a focus on the screenings and connecting patients with other organizations in the community where they can take care of their health needs.

“We’ve seen a lot of people that have no idea where their numbers are at,” Cruz said. “And from here, we’re able to connect them with a community clinic where they can go and get checked. They can get their medications, and they can be on their way to a healthy future.”

Hispanic Health Initiatives bridge the gap between the medically underserved and the health care providers who serve them, eliminating barriers, like language.

“We do it in their languages. Our community health workers, they come from the same community that the people they serve, so they speak their language, they know the culture,” Willems said. “And a lot of times, that’s the most important thing in getting whatever type of education or message across.”

Regardless of race or ethnicity, Hispanic Health Initiatives strives to serve everyone in the community under a motto shared by all members of the organization: “One Race, One Love.”