The Red Cross is offering CPR classes tailored for residents of color. It's part of an effort to improve the first-aid skills of immigrants and minority groups in Brooklyn Park and elsewhere.
By LORA PABST, Star Tribune
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
So when friends from a church in Brooklyn Center told her about a CPR certification class they were taking together, she knew it was the perfect opportunity to get the training.
"I probably would have never signed up on my own," she said. "It's always good to do things with people you know."
That sense of community is exactly what the American Red Cross and city officials are hoping will attract people of color to sign up for emergency training classes that are aimed at reducing health disparities between white and minority communities.
Doretha Asantewaah is an outreach coordinator for the Red Cross who primarily focuses on serving black people; the Red Cross also has outreach coordinators for Hmong, African immigrant and Hispanic residents.
"When people see somebody who looks like them, there is that trust quality there," she said. "They can identify and believe that that person knows more about their culture."
In Brooklyn Park, where about 30 percent of the city's residents are people of color, officials decided that reaching out to those residents and providing a CPR class specifically for them would be beneficial.
The city recently used money from a civic engagement grant to hold the class and offer a reduced fee to participants. Typically, CPR certification classes cost about $50, but this class was only $5, which covered the cost of a first aid kit distributed to participants.
Mercedes Lindgren, who serves on Brooklyn Park's Multicultural Advisory Committee, said the class was just one of several efforts the city has made to inform immigrants about educational opportunities.
"I was glad to see a lot of people from different cultural backgrounds there," she said. "[The city] really listens to what the community has to say or what the community needs."
Other outreach efforts
In the next few months, Brooklyn Park officials are planning to hold several classes for immigrant groups on topics such as burglary prevention, Internet safety and safety procedures for sporting events. A church approached the city about funding the CPR class, so the city wanted to provide the money because it met a specific need identified by people in the community, said Denise Rene Wollenburg, Brooklyn Park's special events coordinator.
"It was requested by one of our immigrant communities," she said. "Also, when they're doing special events in the community, first aid is a big requirement for permits."
Asantewaah said the Red Cross is trying to provide more opportunities for suburban residents, because they are often farther away from social service programs in Minneapolis and St. Paul. She said many churches have organized trainings for their members because there were cases of people having heart attacks at services or children in the nurseries needing basic first aid.
Lindgren said she has already spread the word about the Red Cross' Spanish language classes.
"A lot of the times, we lack knowledge of these services," she said. "Getting word out is half the work."
Lora Pabst • 612-673-4628
Source: Star Tribune, April 23, 2008