Despite the many hardships the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into the daily lives of many, resident leaders and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) have been at the forefront of community response and recovery. The Resident Leadership Academy (RLA) program facilitated by Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP) in partnership with the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency Community Action Partnership (CAP) through supplemental CSBG CARES Act funding, recognized the importance of aiding communities during these difficult times and wanted to help support their efforts by providing resources that could help move these important COVID relief support community improvement projects forward.

To do that, a funding opportunity was announced – the RLA COVID-19 Relief Project Stipends to directly respond to the pandemic, reduce barriers to participation in community engagement work, and support the connection between community organizations and resident leader groups as trusted messengers to their communities.

Following an inspiring selection process, CHIP is thrilled to announce four remarkable projects that will focus on response and recovery from COVID-19 impacts by addressing themes of community resilience, adaptation to the new normal, connectedness, support of community members, and mental health impacts resulting from the pandemic. On behalf of CHIP and the County of San Diego HHSA we would like to congratulate our awardees, Bayside Community Center, Newcomers Support & Development, SBCS (formerly known as South Bay Community Services), and Vista Community Clinic!

Project Descriptions

Bayside Community Center: Senior Companionship Project: North Central Region, Linda Vista Community

The Bayside Community Center’s Senior Companionship Project will benefit 16 homebound seniors living in Linda Vista suffering from loneliness and social isolation. COVID-19 has exacerbated the isolation already experienced by many of these seniors who are living alone as they are unable to go out to social gatherings. Loneliness is associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Bayside and the Linda Vista Leaders in Action will set up a regular phone check-in with these seniors and deliver a monthly care package consisting of hand-crafted items and purchased necessities. The team will do an in-person wellness check with the seniors and enjoy some socially distanced quality time with them.

Bayside Community Center’s Executive Director, Kim Heinle, expressed her gratitude over their award. “CHIP’s generous funding has helped Bayside launch a new program in Linda Vista and surrounding communities that truly embodies what it means to be in community. From weekly phone calls to monthly home deliveries of care packages and wellness check-ins, the Seniors in Action are touching the lives of their friends and fellow community members.” Although the project has just begun, the response has already been overwhelming. “To receive an act of simple kindness from a familiar face has brought them joy, laughter, and even a few tears,” Kim shared.

SBCS: RLA COVID Action Team: South Region, South Bay Community

SBCS also shared sincerest thanks for this opportunity to support their community and build connectedness with one another. Rachel Morineau, Community Engagement Director with SBCS stated, “Thanks to this opportunity, two RLA graduates were selected to facilitate an organic support group. The facilitators offer a space where participants can feel safe and comfortable to share strategies for healing their emotional health in times of COVID.” South Bay has been one of the highest impacted areas in San Diego County, having most of the zip codes with the highest rates of positive COVID-19 tests South of the 94 freeway, including National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, and San Ysidro. SBCS RLA graduates, alongside experienced Promotoras, will provide Latinos in our community with accurate, up to date information and referral support in Spanish, addressing: emergency pandemic response; community resilience and adaptation; connectedness/support of community members; referrals and information on useful programs in the community (financial literacy, tax preparation assistance, temporary housing, food distribution, rental assistance, etc.); and mental health impacts resulting from the pandemic. The project will include community education via social media outlets, weekly online support groups, and monthly ‘Communidad Unida’ virtual presentations, and will reach approximately 200 Latino community members per month.

Newcomers Support and Development: COVID Response Access to Food and Technology (CRAFT): East Region, City of El Cajon Community

The COVID Response Access to Food and Technology (CRAFT) Community Improvement Project is a new way of creating change during COVID-19. The focus of this project is to create educational videos in Arabic that provide resources and training information to Arabic-Speaking populations, which are one of the most isolated populations in San Diego County due to language barriers and lack of access to new technology.

The project will provide this community with resources about food distribution programs and will provide training on how to use Zoom with step-by-step informational instruction, which will allow participants to share resources and eliminate isolation. Through these activities, members of the Arabic-speaking community will become better informed about the COVID-19 resources and gain the confidence & skills to actively participate in virtual settings.

Vista Community Clinic: RLA Partnership for COVID-19 Outreach and Education: North Coastal Region, City of Vista Community

Vista Community Clinic has long been involved with community engagement and educational activities, particularly with facilitation of its Resident Leadership Academy cohorts in Vista, so this opportunity was well-timed with their current efforts around COVID-19 community response.  A high proportion of this region’s residents are immigrants and lack access to healthcare to obtain adequate preventative care. Most residents are of Mexican ancestry and approximately 75% speak Spanish at home.

In these neighborhoods, more than 30% of children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level. This project, Lideres and Comité will reach a minimum of 1,800 community residents in Vista Townsite with science-based COVID-19 health, mental health, and vaccination information through text messaging, flyer distribution, and social media posts.

Responding to the Needs of the Community

It is undeniable that RLA leaders have selflessly stepped up during these unprecedented times to address the challenges brought by the pandemic. This year’s awardees, Bayside Community Center, Newcomers Support & Development, South Bay Community Services, and Vista Community Clinic have developed innovative and heartfelt approaches to continue responding to the needs of their communities while keeping residents engaged and involved.

CHIP and the County of San Diego HHSA are ecstatic to see these projects come to fruition. CHIP’s Vice President of Community Health & Engagement and co-creator of the RLA, Yeni L. Palomino, also shared her thoughts, “Although COVID-19 still continues on, so does the incredible work of the RLA leaders, partners and network. The RLA community is resilient, and remains inspired and encouraged to support one another in an effort to improve current circumstances through collective community-based work.” We believe the results of these efforts will have long lasting positive effects that will not only help the community in the immediate but will also continue to build community resiliency in the long-run.

For More Information

To learn more about the Resident Leadership Academy, please email Yeni L. Palomino at ypalomino@sdchip.org. You can also visit the RLA website at https://www.sdchip.org/initiatives/resident-leadership-academy/.