Cloverdale Community Wellness Center Update

In March of this year, the Healthcare Foundation secured funding from the North Sonoma County Healthcare District to conduct community-led research into the potential and parameters for a community wellness center (CWC) in Cloverdale. The effort, which the coordinating partner organizations have named ‘Nuestra Comunidad Sana,’ is being facilitated by On the Margins in collaboration with the leading local community-based organizations La Familia Sana, Nuestra Comunidad, and Alexander Valley Healthcare.

Geared to supporting the social and cultural life and expressed needs of the entire Cloverdale community, the project devotes special attention to lifting the voices of the Latinx community. The ideas and perspectives of neighborhood residents will be leading forces in the design and implementation of Nuestra Comunidad Sana, beginning with the development and planning process itself.

As relayed by On the Margins, “The objective of Nuestra Comunidad Sana is to use a grassroots approach led by BIPOC Cloverdale communities to envision a safe, vibrant, green, community space of belonging.”

The Nuestra Comunidad Sana project’s phases over the next two years include developing a community-based design, engaging in data collection, performing data analysis, and sharing out the findings and community-envisioned plan in a final report.

“The objective of Nuestra Comunidad Sana is to use a grassroots approach led by BIPOC Cloverdale communities to envision a safe, vibrant, green, community space of belonging.”

Daniela Domínguez, Founder, On the Margins

The initial phase of the project is now underway, with rapport-building coordination among the participating organizations as On the Margins helps to convene a series of community meetings to gather input, generate engagement, and register the ideas, concerns, and needs among Cloverdale residents. In addition to public meetings, this data collection phase involves neighborhood residents in focus groups and participatory mapping workshops, as well as individual interviews, surveys, and canvassing.

The first community event—complete with food, music, a bouncy house, and wellness stations—was held just this past Sunday (July 17) at Cloverdale’s St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Another event is tentatively planned for August (exact date to be announced soon) at La Familia Sana.

Members of the Cloverdale community are encouraged to come. You can check our social media channels for more information on upcoming Cloverdale community events.