Community Partner Highlight: Preventing Diabetes and Advancing Health for Latinos

Latino adults have more than a 50% chance of developing diabetes in their lifetime the CDC reports, impacting this community more than others.

Nobel Victor Hernandez doesn’t need the stats to know that.

“I have seen a lot of people with diabetes in my community,” Hernandez said. “Some have problems with their kidneys, some have lost their eyesight, and me? I lost my leg because I didn’t know how to take care of myself and what the effects of diabetes were.”

But all of that changed when he signed up for the Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP), offered by nonprofit Advance Community (Advance).

Going DEEP-er

With grant funding from the AZ Blue Foundation, Advance is able to provide free food boxes filled with fresh ingredients and expand the DEEP program to serve more Latino adults in Maricopa County.

“This past year we’ve been able to educate 180 people in DEEP, designed for Latinos so that it helps them learn how to manage their diabetes,” said Jeri Royce, Advance President & CEO. DEEP includes eight classes on topics like nutrition, ways to get active, monitoring diabetes, mental health, and more.

“We help them learn risk factors, and what’s within their control and what is not,” Cindy Quintero, Advance Health and Wellness Program Director said. “It talks about how you can prevent complications and why it’s important to take care of our bodies. We’re hoping that our community members can make lifestyle changes for themselves and their families, and impact generational health.”

Ana Ordoñez is a Promotora (Health Educator) with Advance, having gone through DEEP herself.

“What motivated me to teach was ending the health inequality in the Latino community,” she said. “I had gestational diabetes, and I didn’t have the resources that I needed, and I wanted to work on this to offer these resources to the Latino community.”

Advance works with Latino community leaders, training them as Promotoras to become DEEP-certified, empowering them to assist and engage meaningfully in classes that support the community.

“Classes are taught in their native tongue: Spanish,” Ordoñez added. “This is vital to make a connection with the participants, reach the broader community, and make positive change.”

Fresh outlook, fresh food

“It changed my life, and I think I can have more years added to my life,” Hernandez said after completing DEEP. “I was always eating out because I didn’t have time to learn what was good for me. Now I cook with a lot of veggies - not just for me but for my family so my kids can have a better life and better health.”

DEEP participants receive food boxes from Advance after completing the program, supporting them in applying the healthy cooking and eating habits they learned from Advance educators.

“We’ve been able to not only provide the education but also provide these nutritious food boxes which include all the ingredients they need to cook with like whole grains, eggs, lean proteins, quinoa, healthy oils, and fresh fruits and vegetables,” Royce continued. “Without our grant funders, none of this would be possible so I want to extend my gratitude to AZ Blue.”

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