Walk-A-Thon for Health, Social Justice Route

Apr 14, 2022

Join us on April 30th, at 9:30 am at Meridian Hill Park!

Welcome to our 3rd annual Walk-A-Thon for Health! This year’s Walk-A-Thon theme will be focused on Health Equity and bringing awareness to the barriers that Latino immigrants face in accessing health care! Our Social Justice Map consists of a 3.6 mile walk that loop around from Meridian Hill Park down 16th ST, to White House, and back up 15th St, passing by our La Clínica site and ending at La Casa Community Center. Spots marked along the google map will highlight important locations (historical and connected to racial/health equity), programs/services, barriers to care, partners/ sponsors, agencies patients are required to go to, and or advocacy that LCDP is engaged in. There is also a 1mile loop that families and low-impact folks can enjoy. We will meet at Meridian Hill Park at 9:30am on Saturday, April 30th, 2022. To participate register here. We hope to see you there!

We encourage you to take selfies at the milestones listed below and post on social media (don’t forget to tag La Clinica!)

Social Justice Route

Click on the image to go to the map.

  • Meridian Park/Malcolm X – Welcome/Bienvenidxs! This park was renamed by the community as Malcolm X park in the 60’s
  • La Clinica del Pueblo – La Clínica del Pueblo is a nonprofit community-based health center committed to “building a healthy Latino community through culturally appropriate health services, focusing on those most in need.” Founded in 1983 by Salvadorian refugees and US health advocates in response to the healthcare needs of the growing Latino population displaced by civil wars, La Clínica has grown from a volunteer-based free clinic into a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Today, La Clinica is 1 of 8 FQHC’s in the DC metro area –Together, we provide health services to more than 200,000 individuals and their families across DC and Maryland. As of 2020, 70% of DC health center patients live at or below the Federal Poverty Level and 19% of patients are uninsured. At La Clinica 90% of our patients live at or below the Federal Poverty level and 36% are uninsured. Health center patients reflect the diverse communities of Washington D.C. and Maryland with 95% of patients identifying as racial and/or ethnic minorities. Our Community Health Centers play a vital role ensuring all members of our communities can access quality health services when they need them most.
  • Flock DC – At this marker, we have Flock DC, the U Street HQ of a family of real estate companies and a longtime partner of La Clínica every year for a big Casino Night fundraiser! Flock D.C. has supported Columbia Heights nonprofit health center La Clínica del Pueblo for the past six years, putting more than 600 volunteer hours for us! In 2021, Flock launched the birdSEED Foundation, which provides cash, ‘no-strings-attached’ down payment assistance to Black and Brown first-time homebuyers in DC. It's a racially conscious program and the first of its kind. In the last year, birdSEED has provisionally awarded $185,000 to their grantees, for of whom have already closed on homes.
  • Unidos US – UnidosUS (formerly NCLR) has been serving the Hispanic community through research, policy analysis, and state and national advocacy efforts for 50+ years. LCDP is one of its 300 affiliates that works on the ground to serve Latinos and raise concerns and policy issues that impact the Latinx community.
  • White House – 1983 – Hunger Strike – La Clínica legend is that the concept of La Clínica was born in front of the White House, during a hunger strike protesting US involvement in Central America. Human rights abuses and high civilian casualties characterized the civil war in El Salvador and Guatemala during the 1980s; it is estimated that almost one million Salvadorans and Guatemalans fled their homes during this decade.
  • Wilson Building: The historic John A. Wilson Building houses the Executive Office of the Mayor and the Council of the District of Columbia. Many of our city’s laws are passed in this building. Many of our patients, health promoters, and staff have testified in front of the DC Council to advocate for topics such as access to primary health services, language access, mental health services and more. These testimonials have helped push legislature and budgets to be inclusive of Latinx immigrant communities.
  • Embajada de El Salvador – La Clínica has partnered successfully with the Embassy of El Salvador and other Latin American embassies in DC to bring health education information and materials to immigrants while they are seeking embassy and consulate support. These partnerships have allowed La Clinica to reach immigrants who do not seek services elsewhere.
  • George Washington University Hospital - Ever wonder where our medical interpreters go? George Washington Hospital is one of the many hospitals in DC where La Clínica’s interpreters navigate the health system for our patients and provide trained in-person interpretation. Language Access is one of the biggest barriers that our patients face in DC and Prince George’s County, Maryland. Did you know that 84% of La Clínica’s patients prefer to receive care in a language other than English? We are D.C.’s only non-profit provider of health-related interpreter services to government agencies and healthcare organizations, among them the DC Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF), Department of Health (DOH), and other Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Medical interpretation is paired with navigation to help clients prepare for office visits, complete intake forms, attend appointments, receive treatment instructions, and arrange follow-up visits in DC and Prince George’s County. In 2021, 6,399 interpretation sessions were provided by medical interpreters.
  • FRESHFARM – Since October 2020, La Clínica del Pueblo has conducted 32 food distributions – distributing 997 bags of fresh produce to 278 unique clients, representing over 200 families. With our partner FRESHFARM, a nonprofit promoting sustainable agriculture, we distribute locally sourced fresh produce and enroll eligible clients in their reduced-cost Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Meeting the needs of food-insecure families in the DMV also encourages participants in our diabetes prevention and management programs by incentivizing their participation and helping them meet their personal health and wellness goals. So far, the food bags we have distributed have included items like bell peppers, blonde apples, winter squash, garlic, cucumbers, Italian basil, scallions, turnips, and red beets – just to name a few!
  • All Souls Church - As a long-time social justice partner and neighbor, All Souls has warmly welcomed hundreds of La Clínica’s patients and their families during our Posada festivities each year – where Latino immigrants can celebrate their cultural tradition, receive blessing in the sanctuary, and feel safety and belonging at a time when often the sense of isolation and separation from family, culture, and home is magnified.
  • Mount Pleasant “Riots” – In May 5, 1991, a Salvadoran immigrant on Mt Pleasant Street was shot at point blank range by an officer in the DCPD. While he survived, this incident sparked 3 days of protests against the police, and eventually led to a greater awareness, attention, and investment in the growing Latino community. The Mt Pleasant Uprising, as it is increasingly known, also propelled La Clínica to take on greater programming and parnterships, and eventually incorporate as its own 501c3.
  • La Casa – In March 2018, La Clínica fully opened La Casa Community Health Action Center. La Casa had been operated for decades as a community center by Community of Christ, a faith-based group committed to social justice; La Clínica acquired La Casa with the commitment to maintain its legacy as a safe, community space. Today, La Casa houses our community-facing programs, including Gender and Health, HIV Prevention, LGBTQ+ Health programming, Health Promotion, and our Health Equity department. In 2021, more than 180,000 touchpoints were achieved through the different support groups, health education, outreach initiatives, navigation sessions, health promoter trainings and more.
  • CARECEN - Did you know that in 1983, La Clínica was founded as a project of CARECEN? The initiative provided free medical services in a volunteer-run clinic. Today, CARECEN provides legal services to many of our patients; immigration status remains as one of the greatest barriers to accessing health care services and benefits.
  • IRVING ST. – La Clínica launched from 1470 Irving Street, then known as the Wilson Center, alongside community partners Latin American Youth Center, Centro de Arte, and EPICA. This was La Clínica’s home until 2003, when La Clínica moved into its current headquarters at 2831 15th Street.