Community Health and Wellness

With the support of community leaders, Mano en Mano has helped form a Community Health and Wellness board!

In 2021 we invited community members, Mano en Mano staff and Board of Directors to take part in an envisioning process to set organizational goals for the next 3 years. Many community members voiced that they felt that continuing to develop Health and Wellness programming should be a priority of Mano en Mano.  More specifically, folks wanted to see more programming promoting long-term wellness in the community, and get support to create systems and solutions to overcome barriers to accessing healthcare.

In 2022 we worked alongside community leaders to make this vision a reality, and formed a Health and Wellness Board. Currently the board is made up of 15 community members, who plan and realize activities and training to promote wellness and healthy living.  So far the group has organized: wellness walks, a CPR and First Aid training, and breakfast discussions!  In the future, the group is planning to organize additional activities including: healthy cooking classes, outdoor excursions and more!

Another goal of the group is to develop Welcome Plans to share with local health clinics. Many community members have voiced that language and cultural barriers can make it difficult to access healthcare. Many local healthcare facilities do not have plans or tools in practice to support non-native English speakers, since many do not know about the interpretation services that are available.  These plans will help serve and welcome community members with unique cultural and linguistic backgrounds and overcome barriers to healthy living.

If you would like to learn more about the Community Health and Wellness Board, please contact

Maria Paniagua (mpaniagua@manomaine.org)