FINDING COMMON GROUND
( continued from page 7)
Americana World Community Center
Family Education
• Parent / Child Together Time
• English as a Second Language
• Family Coaching
• Mental health services / support
Youth Programming
• Educational enrichment
• Mental health support
Adult Programming
• GED & Digital Literacy Classes
• Citizenship, Community Engagement,
• VITA Tax Services
• Adult Mentorship
Fiberworks
• Women’ s fiber arts entrepreneurship program
Community Garden Programming
Mental Wellness & Social Support Services
Partner Organizations
Adelante Hispanic Achievers
Louisville Latinx Educational Outreach( LLEO)
JCPS Adult Basic Education
Family Health Centers
Survivors of Torture Recover Center
Kaky Haitian Community
Beloz Languate Services
Planned improvements for the Americana Family Health Center
• Move the medical services out of dilapidated modular units and into the Americana World Community Center building.
• Double the number of exam rooms from four to eight, expanding capacity.
• Make the building handicapped accessible by adding an elevator and exterior ramps.
• Fully integrate the Family Health Center medical, behavioral health and support services into one building.
• Creates a dedicated vaccination room to assist in community vaccination efforts.
• Create a larger, permanent health center with a“ storefront” in the zip code( 40214) where the highest number of current patients reside.
• Add an additional pharmacy in an area losing pharmacies.
Academy on Southside Drive. The efforts of the Americana WCC continue to impress:
• The Center provides services to people who may speak one of 32 different languages, representing 66 different countries.
• The Center has enrolled 1,518 students in English as a Second Language( ESL) classes, with 488 moving to advanced levels. This English language adoption accelerates a family’ s ability to greater independence.
• 174 youth have participated in the Center’ s programs achieving a median grade point average of 3.0.
• 120 individuals are enrolled in the pathway to citizenship, with 58 completing the process this last year.
Most physicians in the Metro Louisville area are familiar with the Family Health Centers-Americana( FHC) that was established to provide for the medical needs of a large segment of our city’ s immigrant community. FHC-Americana is housed in temporary double wide trailers on the Americana World Community Center campus. This temporary clinic has been in its current structure for some 16 years, far beyond its original expectations.
Americana World Community Center and the partner organizations housed within its campus provide for more than 5,000 people in Louisville. As a non-profit organization, it has relied on grants and donations. The organization had intended to modernize its facilities and expand to provide more service for the larger immigrant and refugee community of Louisville. Then along with many organizations around the country, Americana WCC has found federal funding disappearing. While the organization has secured $ 2 million in previously appropriated funding, there is a shortfall of over $ 1 million. The Board of Americana World Community Center with interim Executive Director Karen Moya are working diligently to find other funding sources.
This is important to the medical community in Louisville. The medical, social, educational and financial support for this large community of immigrants and refugees is important to the metropolitan area. Without Americana World Community Center and its partner agencies, already taxed medical and social agencies may not be able to provide for all Louisville residents at the level they have. Americana World Community Center is a burning light for our community. We cannot allow the light to flicker or worse to go out. Much is at stake.
Dr. James is an internist / pediatrician seeing patients at Family Health Center.
8 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE