Virginia Latino Pilot Project American Red Cross – Informing and educating immigrant residents about emergency preparedness

Purpose/Goals To increase Latino and other diverse Virginia residents’ ability to prevent and prepare for an emergency or disaster. Administer survey to better understand demographics, emergency and disaster prevention and preparedness, underlying causes of immigration and health concerns of Latino and other diverse Virginia residents. To build trust with Latino and immigrant communities. To provide students with service learning and leadership opportunities. (More on the student experience to come). To distribute information to area Latinos on services available to them and their rights to an interpreter.

Virginia Latino Pilot Project Partners Universities High School students Community organizations Faith organizations Latino organizations, networks State agencies and offices Others

Localities participating Greater Richmond (Richmond city, Chesterfield and Henrico Counties) Petersburg Fredericksburg Charlottesville and Albemarle Outreach planned for Hampton Roads, Williamsburg Surveys administered door-to-door, during focus groups, at community programs

Logistics How we recruited How we got the word out (wiki, s, word of mouth, recruitment in Albemarle County Schools, CJ) Orientation session with CJ  a sense of our community  understanding of how to best do these surveys  cultural sensitivity  building enthusiasm

University of Virginia orientation and training Fall 2008

Surveying Where we went:  Bubbles (3 visits)  Trophy Chase (with UVa Law’s Latin American Law Organization)  Soccer games (3 times)  Southwood (2 visits) Surveys took about 20 minutes each Student experience.

Who we surveyed/ Charlottesville results 140 surveys 136 surveys included in analysis Surveys took place in fall 2008

Gender and Age of those surveyed

Education

Marital Status

What we found: Disaster preparedness

Perception of factors that were affecting their health:

Access to Health Care

Motives for Coming to the U.S.

Experience During Past 12 Months

Is there a link between time here and experience in last year?

Plans to return:

More information gathered Whether they lived alone, with family, with people they worked with Whether they came to the U.S. alone or with friends, family Long-answer questions about why they came to the U.S. and whether they met their goals.

Other feedback…. Slowing economy and jobs: Many reported an inability to get full-time employment or told of us their recent unemployment. Lack of English skills and lack of documentation were repeatedly mentioned as an impediments to their goals Reports on success stories – businesses started, families supported at home. Coming alone and with families. The importance of community in getting the word out. Other feedback and findings (Student findings):

Meeting Our Objectives? To increase Latino and other diverse Virginia residents’ ability to prevent and prepare for an emergency or disaster. Administer survey to better understand demographics, emergency and disaster prevention and preparedness, underlying causes of immigration and health concerns of Latino and other diverse Virginia residents. To build trust with Latino and immigrant communities. To provide students with service learning and leadership opportunities. To distribute information to area Latinos on services available to them and their rights to an interpreter.

Ideas for Future Survey Initiatives… University and high school volunteers Madison House, Spanish classes, student leaders Designate student delegates Community-initiated input into future surveys Materials to be distributed: upcoming events, information on services, …. Your suggestions:  Is there a need for more information gathering?  For the distribution of materials?  How to best organize future initiatives…

For more information Peter M. Von der Lippe Manager, International Services American Red Cross, Greater Richmond Chapter Tel. (804) Fax (804) Amy Frazier-Yoder Lecturer and Graduate Student/ UVa Department of Spanish, Italian & Portuguese