Jose Infanzon Chavez
UNETE CHW Program Regional Coordinator
Community health workers conduct needs assessments, engage in collaboration, and evaluate programs to empower communities and address health disparities.
UNETE (Unmet Needs in Equity vs Transformational Empowerment) is a grassroots non-profit organization with a mission to collaborate and co-create inclusive and equitable spaces that foster health, strengthen self-advocacy, and promote wellness for the whole-person and whole-community.
We advance health and wellbeing throughout the lifecourse by promoting and facilitating access to resources for historically and presently marginalized communities. Based on a human rights framework, UNETE’s vision is to equitably facilitate immediate and lasting transformation in lives across Western North Carolina (WNC).
Our Community Health Workers have dedicated their efforts “with, by, and for” the community for decades. Our initiatives address the social and structural determinants of health by sustainably amplifying the wisdom and strengths of the community. UNETE provides person-centered and resiliency-informed services tailored to meet the holistic needs of WNC individuals and families.
The CHW model is giving UNETE an opportunity to formalize many decades of service, creativity, and knowledge. UNETE will continue strengthening the resilience of our community at large and promoting equity with MANOS, FAROS, De Mujer a Mujer NC, and collaborating with agencies and organizations seeking mutual support and strong collaborations.
As one of our main public health initiatives, UNETE embraces the Community Health Worker (CHW) model as one of the best tools to promote equity. Our team is partnering with other local organizations to develop the next generation of trusted multicultural and multilingual frontline CHWs who center and strive to collectively achieve the highest attainable standard of health for everyone.
By being the bridge between social services and the individual/community, our CHWs build capacity for self-efficacy, foster synergistic connections, and provide education as well as socio-emotional support. The CHWs understand and celebrate the diversity of NC identities because they are deeply rooted in the communities they serve.
