Strong roots: AARP Promotoras connect communities to critical resources

Strong roots:  AARP Promotoras connect communities to critical resources

On Colorado’s western slope, a group of community volunteers works diligently to connect Spanish-speaking, older residents with critical health and community resources.

Who are these volunteers? Local promotoras.

“Promotora” is a Hispanic/Latino community leader that volunteers or works to provide their friends, families and neighbors the information they need to thrive.

Promotoras are most often Latina women, and they channel information through grassroots gathering places and events, including churches.

“There exists a binary by which communities of Mexican descent continue to receive and experience aging in a unique way verses the general population,” Dr. Marissa Volpe, AARP Colorado director of outreach, said. “We know communities of color and Spanish-dominant communities do not access resources like senior centers, senior lunches, transportation services, respite or health benefits at the rate the dominant culture does.

“Our team saw an opportunity to make access to services more equitable by leveraging our ability to gather key community partners and promotoras in the western part of our state.”

Daniel Balakov/Getty Images

AARP Colorado partnered with the Mexican American Development Association (MADA) and a wide variety of Western Colorado services providers to convene a day long capictación, or training, with a group of 12 promotoras – who have also signed up as AARP volunteers.

The promotoras connected with15 service providers for the purposes of deepening and sharing knowledge about key resources in Colorado’s Western region. The capictación included bilingual and bicultural training staff, making the connection between key service providers and the volunteers even stronger.

“Our trained promotora model emphasizes creating a knowledge base with trusted community members to share culturally specific and relevant resources,” Volpe said.

What’s Next

With the promotoras gaining more experience and knowledge on the Western Slope, as well as the support of AARP Colorado and the Region 10 Area Agency on Aging, an ongoing capictación opportunity is being created through a revived program.

Starting September 24, the MADA Center in Montrose will resume holding weekly, culturally responsive luncheons for older Coloradans. Each luncheon will include a presentation from a promotora on a key community resource.

“We’re proud to partner with MADA and Region 10 to bring this event series back to life,” Volpe said. “Through collaboration and community, we can make a substantial difference for an underrepresented group of people.

“When we do so, we make our communities more welcoming and livable for Coloradans of all ages.”

Registration for the Companeros is available through MADA's Facebook event page.*

If you or a community member are interested in volunteering as a local promotora, contact AARP Colorado at aarpco@aarp.org or by completing a volunteer application at aarp.org/Iwant2volunteer.


*This is not an AARP website. All information provided to MADA will be governed by its - and Meta's - privacy policy.

Cecilia Cain