Hispanic Outreach Thru Positive Engagement Program

Presenter: Jhennifer Celestino Alva, Public Health Science & Disabilities Studies, Global Public Health Scholars

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I interned at The Arc of Prince George’s County. The overall goal of The Arc of Prince George’s County is to “provide support, understanding, and opportunities for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families” (The Arc of Prince George's County, 2022). The Arc of Prince George’s County started the HOPE initiative. HOPE stands for Hispanic Outreach Thru Positive Engagement. The initiative’s mission is to reach Hispanic families in need with loved ones with disabilities. I worked in three programs: Ready To Vote, Hispanic Outreach Thru Positive Engagement, and the Benefits Enrollment Center. In Ready2Vote, we had events such as the Ready2Vote Block Party and Ready2Vote Presentation with High Schoolers. However, most excitingly I helped register people to vote! I also translated our Disabilities Voter’s Rights Presentation into Spanish. This helped the Spanish interpreters and Spanish-speaking families as the Disability Rights of Maryland presented during our Block Party event. Through HOPE, I attended different outreach events! Through these events, I was in charge of informing families about the mission and purpose of The Arc! I also would get the contact information of these families. This leads to the Benefits Enrollment Center! Through outreach events or webinars, we would collect the contact information of families. Then I would call these families in order to start the intake survey! Through this intake survey, we see the state and federal benefits the families are eligible for. Through this process, I improved my Spanish and learned how families can apply for state and federal benefits such as the Low-Intensity Support Services form and Developmental Disabilities Administration application. When entering the Arc, I was really excited to work with the Hispanic and Latino community! I grew up with Peruvian immigrant parents in the Prince George’s County area. Since my parents only spoke Spanish, I was often translating important documents such as mail or medical records. Therefore, when I heard about the HOPE initiative, I was so excited to start my internship. HOPE’s mission is to provide support to Hispanic and Latino families regarding the different resources they may need. Especially since the language barrier can be a health disparity.