Clínica Esperanza Ribbon-Cutting
September 13, 2024, was a sunny day of hope and connection in Hillsboro. Members of our community joined us for the ribbon cutting ceremony for Clínica Esperanza, our culturally specific mental healthcare clinic.
Our Clínica Esperanza offers culturally and linguistically specific mental health services to the Latine women and families in our community. Mental health is an essential part of the Adelante Mujeres commitment to ensuring that Latine women become thriving leaders.
In early 2020, Adelante Mujeres began dreaming of creating a safe and welcoming space where our community can take the necessary steps forward in their healing journey. Oregon ranks 48th and 51st (including D.C.) in the nation for adults and youth experiencing mental health illnesses and only ranks 30th in access to care (Mental Health America, 2023). We knew that despite the stigma that comes with naming mental health, our community wanted access to quality culturally and linguistically specific mental health services. And we knew that we could help make a difference.
What was once a one-person team providing dedicated healing courses, turned into a department of Adelante Mujeres: Health Equity. This department includes our Clínica Esperanza.
The ribbon cutting ceremony opened with a ceremonial dance from the Macuilshochitl dance group, featuring Adelante staff members Maria Luisa Piñon and Krystel Tafolla.
Esperanza means “hope,” and a series of speeches from Clínica Esperanza stakeholders emphasized the hope our clinic gives to our community. As Adelante Mujeres Board member and Civil Rights Specialist at the Oregon Department of Education, Marinda Peters, put it, “Esperanza is ours. Because hope is ours. And when we bring hope and wellness to our community it leaves a legacy which allows all to thrive.”
After the ribbon cutting, attendees were invited to meet our team, explore our facility on Oak Street, and connect with one another while eating food from Topo's Venezuelan Cuisine.
We are grateful for the following partners who helped us realize this dream of providing mental health services to our Latine community: Washington County Behavioral Health, CareOregon, Trillium, and Health Share. And we want to thank the elected officials who joined the celebration to show their support for Adelante and their commitment to the community: Hillsboro Mayor Steve Calloway and Metro Council member Juan Carlos Gonzalez.
Ingrid Solares, our Director of Health Equity, emphasized how proud we are of the collaborative effort to launch Clínica Esperanza. “Today I am filled with joy and gratitude knowing that dreams come true. If we believe in something and join forces with others, we can work together to influence systemic change that supports the mental health of the Latine community.”