Meet Ervin - A Community Health Worker
/Community Health Worker Awareness Week is held every year from August 26th to 30th. We’re excited to keep highlighting eastern Washington community health workers all year long! Discover more about these incredible individuals who are making a real difference through their dedication, compassion, and relentless commitment to enhancing community health.
My name is Ervin and I am a Community Health Worker.
How did you first learn about community health workers?
I first learned about being a community health worker through my wife. She told me about an opportunity, that they were training within the community. It fit what I was already doing in life, and so I decided to go ahead and sign up.
Why did you want to be a community health worker?
I wanted to be a community health worker because I figured out that I already was one. I've always been that support within my family, the one to help out with any questions or concerns regarding healthcare, being the bridge between healthcare providers, and things like that. I've always been one to look up information and dive deep in. Within my community, being the Black community, there's definitely a large gap between healthcare and being able to have access to it, and a lot of that stems just from our history within the healthcare system. I pride myself on just being able to bridge that gap. I think I've always been a community health worker, unknowingly.
What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing a career as a community health worker?
The advice I would give someone pursuing a career as a community health worker is to first start with yourself. Make sure you're healthy, your mental health is great, and you have all the resources you need to do the job successfully. If you're good, then you can offer the good to others.