Resources

A Holistic Organization Built by and for the Community

Founded in 1996, Latino Network was created in response to the growing need for culturally responsive services in Oregon’s Latine communities. What began as a grassroots effort has grown into one of the state’s most impactful community-based organizations.

Their programs span the life course from early childhood education to family stabilization and civic engagement. With over 150 staff members and a wide network of educators, mentors, advocates, and health workers, Latino Network reaches thousands of individuals every year. What makes their model unique is its integration of cultural identity, systemic advocacy, and wraparound support. Whether they’re leading school-based programs or shaping statewide policy, Latino Network remains deeply rooted in the strengths of the community it serves.

This is not charity work, it’s community power-building. It’s one of the most effective ways to improve long-term health outcomes across generations.

Laying the Groundwork Early

Health begins long before birth, and Latino Network’s early childhood programs recognize that. Through Juntos Aprendemos, children aged 3–5 and their caregivers participate in bilingual, culturally affirming learning environments that support language, literacy, and school readiness.

But the impact reaches deeper than academics. By engaging mothers and caregivers from the start, these programs support prenatal and maternal health, improve nutrition and stress regulation in the home, and create an early buffer against toxic stress and trauma—key components in shaping a child’s lifelong physical and emotional health. These efforts speak directly to what research calls epigenetic factors: the intergenerational conditions that shape how genes are expressed and how well we thrive.

Social Development: Healing Family Systems, Restoring Childhood

Latino Network understands that for children to be healthy, their social environment must be safe, nurturing, and affirming. That’s why their youth programs focus on strengthening family dynamics, building resilience, and restoring connections through culturally specific mentorship.

Programs include:

• Support for youth navigating the juvenile justice system
• Leadership and identity-building workshops
• Prevention programs that use creative play, music, and storytelling to build self-worth

These programs reduce the long-term impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) by helping young people build protective factors like emotional regulation, cultural pride, and connection to trusted adults. They also serve as a powerful intervention against social isolation, creating belonging where there was once distance or fear.

Community Health: Changing the Systems That Shape Us

We believe systems should change—not people. Latino Network embodies that belief through its policy advocacy, civic engagement, and systemic approach to equity. Their work targets foundational community-level health drivers, including:

• Education: Improving outcomes through culturally responsive teaching and school partnerships
• Socioeconomics: Offering career and housing stabilization, rental assistance, and economic justice programming
• Access to Healthcare: Connecting families with mental health services, reproductive health support, and COVID-era care
• Cultural Factors: Empowering youth and families to lead from a place of identity and pride—not assimilation

Because they design programs with the community, their interventions are responsive, inclusive, and effective. This approach builds public trust, activates public services, and ultimately improves public health outcomes at scale.

A Shared Commitment to Transformative Health

Latino Network reminds us that health is not only about avoiding illness, it’s about building lives of purpose, safety, and possibility.

We’re proud to uplift and learn from organizations like Latino Network, whose work reflects our own guiding principles: centering equity, valuing community wisdom, and investing in long-term systems change.

They are not just allies in the work—they’re proof that transformation is possible when communities lead, and systems listen.

Learn More

Explore Latino Network’s story at www.latnet.org

Determinants of Health: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Education, Isolation & Belonging, Cultural Factors, Access to Healthcare, Ethnicity