In an effort to address some of the most pressing needs of North Philadelphia’s Latino community as it relates to health, more than 30 Latino high school students joined Thomas Jefferson University, and the recently formed Philadelphia Collaborative for Health Equity.

“This was a response to the significant health disparities that we were witnessing in the city,” Dr. Jack Ludmir, executive director of the Philadelphia Collaborative for Health Equity, told AL DÍA.

“One of our principles was based in going to communities and listening to the communities [and] don’t come with a specific intervention,” he added.

This collaboration allowed for Jefferson to hear directly from community members about what their needs are.

During an event held at Taller Puertorriqueño on Apr. 25, local high school students displayed a photography pop-up gallery of photos taken by them that illustrate some of the challenges they face in their community.

“We will be able to use these images and… shared experiences, not only to bring increased awareness to the issues surrounding health in different communities, but to put an action plan in place that begins to address health disparities as a united front,” Elaine Lindy from the Lindy Foundation said.

With Philadelphia’s status as one of the poorest of the country’s major cities, there is a lot of things to unravel within the city, but particularly the neighborhoods of Frankford, Fairhill, Harrowgate, Hunting Park, Juniata Park, Kensington and Port Richmond.

“Sadly, Philadelphia still has an estimated 60,000 children going hungry, and 40 percent of our population live in poverty,” Stephen Klasko, President & CEO of Jefferson Health, said.  

According to an extensive multi-step assessment by the Philadelphia Collaborative for Health Equity, the top four priorities for residents of those communities are: mental health; trauma, safety, violence; housing, and built environment.

The goal is for the Philadelphia Collaborative for Health Equity to expand to further neighborhoods throughout the city, and continue addressing the many needs the residents of various communities in Philadelphia are facing.

“That is the principle, trying to listen [to the communities] and then prioritize those needs, and then trying to put teams together that can deal with that,” Ludmir iterated.

The full report can be found here.

Organizations can also apply for a Request for Proposal by clicking here.