COLBY, Kan. - (Monday, Sept. 4, 2023) LiveWell Northwest Kansas is partnering with other local and national organizations to support local families and individuals needing help with immigration.
Many immigrants find the process of obtaining legal citizenship not only difficult, but oftentimes impossible. The complicated naturalization process is daunting with strict eligibility requirements and timelines, requires qualified, specialized legal representation, incredible time and financial obligations, and an understanding of the English language, just to name a few barriers. Further, legislation is constantly changing, making it even more difficult for people to immigrate.
LiveWell and other organizations are aware of the the difficulties and understand the importance of lending aid to the largest growing demographic in the United States. Since 2000, the number of Latino residents statewide has nearly tripled, now making up roughly one in every five Kansans. And, they need legal help to become a part of our communities the right way.
Based out of Topeka, immigration lawyer Blanca Marin, is joining LiveWell and three other organizations to host two hour-long informational meetings for people with questions about immigrating to the United States. The free programs will take place at:
6 p.m. (CST), Friday, Sept. 15, at the Colby Event Center, 1200 S. Franklin Ave, Colby, Kan.,
and at 10 a.m. (MDT), Saturday, Sept.16, at the Rock House, 326 E. 6th St., Goodland, Kan.
Programming will include an overview of anti-smuggling legislation, offer people the opportunity to pre-register and sign up for a free 15-minute private consultation with Marin, and will also offer people the chance to receive free preventative health screenings.
To reserve a free, private, 15-minute consultation with Marin, people need to contact LiveWell's bilingual Community Health Worker Sandra Estrada at (785) 460-8177 or sandrae@nwksprevention.com. Consultations are limited and will follow immediately after Marin's scheduled programs in Colby and Goodland. Time will also be made available during the presentation for people to ask questions.
Additionally, free preventative health screenings will be available for those interested. These include free blood pressure, blood sugar, and body mass index checkups for adults. For further details regarding health screenings, contact Estrada.
Based in Colby, Kan., LiveWell Northwest Kansas is a long-standing regional nonprofit organization working to improve all aspects of "health" in northwest Kansas. In January 2023, LiveWell was awarded over $200,000 from the Kansas Department for Children and Families as a designated Family Resource Center. In total, about $1.8 million in funds have been allocated statewide to ten newly established Family Resource Centers. Under this program, LiveWell is able to build on existing programs and bring additional services to northwest Kansas, including counseling, legal services, early childhood care, literacy programs, and more.
Immigration lawyer Blanca Marin primarily offers legal services throughout the Topeka and Kansas City communities. After immigrating to the United States as a young child, she grew up in an agricultural community in western Kansas with her parents and seven siblings. She obtained a teaching degree in secondary education and graduated from Washburn University in 2000. Since then, she has served in Wyandotte County as an Assistant District Attorney in the Juvenile Division, and has specialized in immigration and family law at Boulton Marin and Buschart, LLC, Marin de Stevanov Law Office, LLC, and now Marin Immigration Law, LLC.
JUNTOS, the Center for Advancing Latino Health, is an extension of KU Medical Center at the University of Kansas. The mission of JUNTOS is to develop a comprehensive sustainable program at KU Medical Center, fully integrated with the Latino community in Kansas that will both improve the health of the community and advance the field of health services research. JUNTOS serves the Lantino community by participating in health outreach activities, providing basic health screenings, and offering health education and information about resources.
Led by Sarah F. Kessler, Ph.D., MPH, COPE (Communities Organizing to Promote Equity) is a project of the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health at the KU School of Medicine. It is funded through a grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to activate a network of public health and community-based organizations, community health workers, and other partners across the state. The program was born from the 2020 COVID pandemic that inflamed health disparities across many Kansas communities and now works to engage with Kansas communities to address health and equity issues.
A hub for superior and innovative health services in northwest Kansas, Citizens Health is the nonprofit parent organization operating Citizens Medical Center, Family Center for Health Care, Prairie Senior, and Citizens Foundation in Colby, Kan.