MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — A nonprofit that helps connect resources to residents in need is celebrating a big expansion of its programs.
Unite WI coordinates community health workers (CHWs) with people at risk.
CHWs serve as a liaison between the community and health and social services, ensuring that people have access to the resources they need.
“It’s about making sure that communities can be supported, that they can be well and healthy,” Unite WI chief executive Bria Grant said.
Unite WI announced on Tuesday that they would add an additional 200 CSAs, creating a full team of 700 in Milwaukee.
The goal is to proactively curb rising violence by meeting people where they are to help them lead better lives.
“If we are able to increase the number of properly trained and equipped community health workers to be deployed in the community to serve those in need, then we can have a significant dent in the violence that occurs in our community,” Grant said. .
Community health workers can connect people for help with domestic violence, mental and physical health, housing, food, family planning, employment, and more.
“All of the ASCs who do the work do it because we want to make a difference in the community. We do it because we want to help. We want to see the community grow,” said ASC Grisel Delgado. “We’ve built bridges with most, if not all of the agencies that provide resources in the community, so we want to be able to be that person to make that connection.”
Unite WI kicked off the recruiting announcement with a documentary screening behind the Bradley Symphony Center in Milwaukee.
The short film showed how community health workers actively changed lives.
“The best part is just seeing the change in the families, leaving them in a better place than where you found them when you first met them,” Delgado said.
According to Unite WI, there are 1,500 community health workers statewide.
Adding 200 more to Milwaukee will open up the possibility of helping more than 50,000 people.
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