Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara gifts $100k to county nonprofit to help Spanish-speaking volunteers become certified Family Health Navigators

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Children and Family Resource Services (CFRS), a nonprofit organization under the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO), recently received a $100,000 grant from the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara.

SBCEO said these funds will be used to provide training and support for 24 Promotores to become certified as Family Health Navigators. Promotores are Spanish-speaking volunteers trained to overcome cultural barriers that prevent people from accessing health, social and government services.

“This funding allows us to expand our services throughout Santa Barbara County. With every newly trained promotora, we can serve an additional 100 people,” said MaryEllen Rehse, Executive Director of CFRS. “We are grateful to the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara for their financial support and confidence in our mission to serve our Spanish-speaking community.”

SBCEO said each promotora serves about 100 community members referred through existing networks such as churches, workplaces, friends and family. 

The Promotores Network also serves as a liaison with health and social service organizations and was recently recognized with a 2020 Latino Legacy award for their extraordinary work.

“We appreciate the extraordinary investment by the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara’s in the Promotores Network and our community,” said Dr. Susan Salcido, the Superintendent for Santa Barbara County Schools. “Our county’s students and families benefit from the connections made through this trusted and robust network.”

The Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara is a volunteer-led collective donor organization that enables women to combine their charitable dollars into significant grants addressing the critical needs of women, children and families in southern Santa Barbara County.

For more information about the county's Promotores Network, click here.