On October 30, the first-ever NCAP Harvest Celebration was held in Hermiston, Oregon. Attended by over 60 participants, this celebratory and educational event was an initiative of NCAP's bilingual program, intended to show appreciation for and offer resources to Latino/Hispanic families who work in agriculture. Multiple organizations supported this effort, working together to provide services that promote well-being and safety.

The following topics were covered at the event:

  • Learning about NCAP and its mission
  • Prevention of pesticide exposure
  • The importance of using personal protective equipment when working in agriculture
  • Climate crisis and safety measures
  • Opportunities for volunteer community work
  • Oral hygiene (a new addition to the health education curriculum, as pesticides can have an impact on oral health, disrupting the microbiome and leading to imbalances that increase the risk of periodontal disease. Mitigating these risks includes proper tooth brushing techniques, consistent daily brushing, regular dental check-ups, and even proper handwashing)
  • The value of registering for and receiving state benefits, having health insurance, and regular visits to a primary care clinic for preventative health check-ups
  • Cancer, illness and disease prevention, and safety, especially related to pesticide exposure.
  • Well water safety - collecting water samples and getting them analyzed for nitrate levels, as well as next steps for addressing nitrate levels higher than 10 mg/L.

After the educational workshops, we celebrated with food, drinks, raffles, and educational gifts for children, including coloring pages and materials in two languages about pesticides, the climate crisis, and community health.

 

We would like to thank the following community partners and multicultural community volunteers, who made these efforts possible:

  • Knight Cancer Institute and Carina Garcia for their presentation on cancer, pesticide exposure prevention, transmitted infections, and chronic illness. 
  • Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization for offering information on state health insurance, housing, and general family health services. 
  • Advantage Dental and its team of dentists who shared a presentation on dental checkups for adults and children, how to maintain strong, clean teeth and how proper dental care can prevent serious future dental problems. They also offered free toothpaste and toothbrushes for adults and children, and informational brochures. 
  • The Ministry of Public Education who provided us with a classroom to offer the community health workshop in.
  • Radio La Ley and General Manager Gaudencio Felipe, who provided live coverage of the Harvest Celebration, highlighting NCAP's commitment to family well-being through education.
  • All of the volunteers who supported the event and one volunteer Alejandra, who is trilingual and provided us with invaluable assistance in translation services which was especially impactful in getting information to Guatemalan Mayan Mam speakers in addition to Spanish speaking attendees. 
  • Our network of supporters at NCAP who donate and make community health initiatives like these possible.

Thank you for supporting the community and amplifying the impact we are able to have at NCAP. We look forward to more initiatives like this in our bilingual programming in the future!