Sana, sana, colita de rana? For many Latinos, hearing this phrase is like going back to our childhood, based on a common nursery rhyme about the healing of a little frog's tail to offer comfort and build resilience, especially when a child has been hurt or injured. And for the eleventh consecutive year, this Annual Health Forum returns for the Latino community.
Under this expression that is commonly used in many Latino/a communities to offer comfort when someone, specifically a child, has fallen or been hurt, local organizations seek to promote health and well-being among Latinos.
The 11th Annual Latino/a/x Health Forum “Sana, Sana, Colita de Rana” will be held this Saturday, October 26th from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club, located at 1109 Hilton Street in Redwood City.
This event will be in Spanish with English interpretation for the main events.
This year’s theme is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together,” with the keynote speaker being Dr. Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, faculty coordinator for the Master of Arts in Counseling (MFT) program at USF’s South Bay campus.
Dr. Hernandez Arriaga holds a PhD in Education and is a licensed clinical social worker with eighteen years of experience working in community mental health, with a focus on childhood trauma and Latino mental health. Belinda has extensive experience in county mental health, where she worked on the Santa Clara County Juvenile Detention Center Mental Health Team and the San Mateo County Pre-Three High-Risk Children's Mental Health Team.
She co-founded and serves on the Latino Advisory Board in Half Moon Bay, as well as being the founder and executive director of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS).
Additionally, the event will feature on-site health screenings, food, music, resource booths, and more. No registration is required.
This event is dedicated in memory of Hector Robles-Moncada, co-president and co-leader of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sana, Sana.
Hector Robles Moncada, who passed away earlier this year, was born in Mexico and raised in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico; he began his work with BHRS in 2007 as a physician and was later promoted to Unit Supervisor.
Hector inspired many residents, colleagues, and community members in the county with his compassion and commitment to helping those most impacted, such as efforts to reduce inequities, increase representation, and break down barriers to support those in need of access to healthcare. He empowered the community by showing staff and clients that it was important to embrace their culture with pride and that within their culture there was healing.
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