As National Poetry Month comes to a close, read below submissions from We ‘Ced youth.
If you could write a poem to COVID, what would you want to tell it?
Advocates pointed out Merced County’s undocumented population is estimated to pay nearly $9 million in local taxes this year alone. Additionally, the community plays a major role in the local economy as the undocumented labor force supports much of Merced’s agricultural industry--valued at $3.5 billion in 2015.
To help change the inequality in access to care, Jensen said the department is looking to form a coalition with public agencies, private citizens, nonprofits and other community voices and address each of the three goals head-on.
The department’s stated goals are: ensuring “all individuals in Merced County have access to quality health care,” “optimizing social and physical environments to support healthy lifestyles” and increasing wellness in Merced County “by addressing the conditions that lead to drug and alcohol abuse.” The department has given itself until 2021 to achieve each of these goals.
While the scope of work may be daunting, department officials say they hope to achieve true healthy equity by incorporating a wide-spectrum of voices and community representatives in the planned coalition.
