Worcester REACH

Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health

For the Health of Our Communities
Para la Salud de Nuestras Comunidades

The City of Worcester Division of Public Health is working with partners on an exciting new project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (CDC REACH) program. With an overarching goal of health equity for the Latino/Latinx community in Worcester, the REACH project values the community’s experiences and expertise. REACH is the result of a 5 year grant awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2018 to support policies, programs and local resources focused on 5 main areas. An additional supplement was added in 2020 to address COVID-19 and the flu.

Focus Areas

Click on a button below to learn more about our Focus Areas:

Food Systems

• Promote more buying and selling of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Address food insecurity.
• Promote food benefits like SNAP, HIP and WIC.

Built Environment

• Improve movement in human-made physical environments like sidewalks, crosswalks, paths, bicycle routes, public transit and more.

Breastfeeding

• Increase community support for breastfeeding.
• Support clinical care available for breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding

• Increase community support for breastfeeding.
• Support clinical care available for breastfeeding.

Early Childhood & Education

• Support programs and policy that prevent obesity in children through increasing healthy eating and physical activity.

Clinical – Community Linkages

• Support clinics and hospitals directing people to programs that address needs like food, housing, transportation and more.

COVID-19/Flu

• Promote COVID-19/Flu prevention and vaccination knowledge.
• Build community capacity to engage in program intervention through the recruitment and training of community influencers, and connecting communities to vaccine and health providers.

Our Approach

• Work to understand and address the challenges that our Latino/Latinx communities face.
• “Get the word out” to our community members and increase access to existing programs.
• Support organizations and programs that promote the health of Latinos/Latinxs in Worcester.

Need Help?

Search free and reduced cost services like medical care, food, housing, and more in Worcester through our partner CommunityHELP. Enter your zip code in the box provided and click “Search” to begin!

Partners and Collaborators

REACH Newsletter

The Worcester Division of Public Health (WDPH) is excited to launch a new triannual newsletter.

The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program is a national program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities. WDPH was awarded a 5-year REACH grant by the CDC in 2018 to support policies, programs, and local resources focused on health equity for the Latino/ Latinx community of Worcester, as well as to get the word out to community members and increase access to existing programs.

If you are interested in participating in any programs you read about, please feel free to contact Worcester REACH at 508-735- 0220 or [email protected].

Read the Newsletter

Get Involved

We are looking for individuals, groups and organizations to partner with us on REACH.

• Become a REACH Clinical Partner.
• Become a REACH Community Organization and Group Partner.
• Community Engagement & Vaccination: The Church Initiative
• Invite REACH to contribute to your initiative.
• Volunteer as an individual contributor.

For more information, contact us today!

Contact Us