Sometimes all it takes is a shout to make a difference. That was one of the messages Promoters de Paterson wanted to convey when it recently held an event for Latinos who have experienced violence. More than 50 people attended the mini-summit “Women’s Cry/El Grito de la Mujer” held at the Congregational Church.
“Mental health is important to us,” said coordinator Albertina Reynoso. “Like a butterfly undergoing a complete metamorphosis, we hope to support others in their journey of healing and discovery of beauty.”
Promotores de Patterson is one of 13 groups in Stanislaus County advocating for mental health support for members of primarily Spanish-speaking communities. They’ve been doing this for 11 years and it’s a passion project for everyone involved.
“We do it from the heart,” said member Mirna Macedo. “I think it’s really important that we reach new people as a community because we don’t know everyone’s situation. Holding events like this allows us to reach more people and help them get closer to We can bring help to other people who are not there. But when they get here, they find a way to get help from us.”
There are always challenges to doing the outreach that Promoters de Paterson hopes to accomplish, but the recent challenges have felt overwhelming to them. Now that Proposition 1 has passed, they are at risk of losing funding.
“We have funding through Proposition 63 through the county,” Reynoso said. “But Proposition 1 would take some of that county funding to the state level.”
Bill 63, also known as the Mental Health Services Act, was passed in 2004. It taxes people who earn more than $1 million a year. Proposition 1, passed by voters this month, would divert some of those taxes in a variety of ways, primarily toward housing the homeless.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen next,” Reynoso said. “We’re not listening.”
In the meantime, Promoters de Paterson plans to remain focused on its goal of improving the lives of Latinos through improved mental health.
“We understand that Latinos typically don’t go for help when they need it,” Reynoso said. “They see mental health as a stigma, a taboo. From what they see in movies and what they hear. So when we start talking about mental health in a different way, it starts to feel okay to ask for help.” We do different sessions like Woman Scream so they can open up and think it’s okay to ask for help.”
During the workshop, participants were encouraged to write down their feelings on paper and read them aloud into a microphone.
“This helps them put their emotions on paper and organize them, and reflect on events that may cause sadness. But it also helps them laugh, because there have been some good moments in their lives.” Yes,” Reynoso said. “Some people had the courage to stand up and say what needed to be said.”
Promotores de Patterson can be reached at (209) 690-3100.
