Victor Guerrero, and his wife Jeilin, are from Honduras. They have lived in New Hampshire since 2021 and are still learning about the state. They say snow keeps surprising them every morning, and they love it. But at the same time, they're concerned about other aspects of their life here, particularly how they can access affordable health care in an emergency. They haven’t looked for a doctor yet, but worry they might need one anytime.
“We might have difficulties because we don’t know how to visit a clinic. We don’t have a social security number yet; it is in process,” Guerrero said.
The family is looking for options, and a health fair Tuesday at a church in Manchester was the perfect setting to ask questions.
The Granite State Organizing Project, which organized the fair, says thousands of immigrants, like Guerrero, in the state, need health, nutrition, rent, and benefits information. Iliana Barreto, the community coordinator for Centro Latino, says how to access Medicaid is one of the main questions Latinos have.
“Many people don’t know they can even qualify for Medicaid sometimes. With that knowledge, they can apply and hopefully be covered,” she told attendees.
The organization reached out to people across New Hampshire to attend the fair. They are trying to provide a safe space for Latinos to learn about resources in their language, but some are left behind.
“Unfortunately, these resources don’t exist for the undocumented people, so it is a lot bigger issue to what we can handle right now,” Barreto said.
Members of Amoskeag Health had a table where they taught that people don’t need documentation to access their health services. They had information about pay scales, free case management services, medication-assisted treatment for people in recovery from a substance use disorder, and behavioral services.
“If you feel that need, speak more, seek help. Don't be embarrassed about asking for anything,” said Stacey Bailey, manager of social services at Amoskeag Health.
The University of New Hampshire brought its Youth and Family Nutrition Connections program that offered information about SNAP benefits and provided culturally appropriate recipes that can be quickly cooked.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration provided information about their services, which “needs to be more noticed,” said Brian Mitchell, New Hampshire Coalition for Occupational Safety director.
“Some employers try to take advantage of them or are underpaid,” he said.
The fair also had a vaccination clinic and expected to vaccinate at least 10 people.
