Your Donor Impact

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April 2024

The pandemic was especially difficult for families that had less access to physical activities. Specifically, some Latinx communities in the Eugene-Springfield region of Oregon are concentrated in areas with few parks or access to nature. With your support, one Oregon pediatrician wanted to create a pathway to make a difference. 

AAP donations funded the Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) grant “Nurturing Latinx Children's Health Through Nature.” The project goal was to improve mental health by increasing access to the Mount Pisgah Arboretum (MPA) by Latinx families and to develop Latinx youth nature leaders. Intentionally inclusive of BIPOC communities, the Mount Pisgah Arboretum (MPA) was an ideal choice.

Along with contacts at the Migrant Education Program (MEP) and staff at the Arboretum, a nature program was developed for the MEP students and for the community. Lauren Herbert, MD, FAAP, who provides a majority of care for these Latinx families, orchestrated this initiative. Along with Dr. Leslie Pelinka, she handed out Mt. Pisgah Arboretum passes and maps to Latinx families and talked with them about the health benefits of time outdoors. 

The next stage was providing leadership opportunities for Latinx teens. This engagement was highly effective and resulted in the teens leading a nature walk, attended by Latinx family members.

Dr Herbert described the walk: “The teens led us on a wonderful nature walk, pointing out birds, trees and flowers. They had us use magnifying glasses, binoculars and butterfly nets to help us understand the natural environment. They had us stop and listen to the birds. I watched a father running down a trail, swinging a butterfly net, children smiling and laughing in delight…. I watched the teens skillfully and expertly lead the walk…emerging from the pandemic, the walk truly felt like a gift.”

The CATCH grant led to new grants from the insurance companies administering the Oregon Health Plan, to provide more than 300 passes. The director of MPA used the CATCH grant as a model to obtain even further funding, totaling $47,000. All of this has established the project as part of the MEP and MPA programs, bringing an outdoor connection for Latinx families well into the future. The program is now part of the Migrant Education Program’s ongoing summer program, and part of Mount Pisgah Arboretum’s summer program. 

Your generosity helps create these opportunities for families across the country. As a past chapter CATCH coordinator and faculty sponsor/mentor for nine resident CATCH grants, I know very well how much they can mean. Thank you for turning one great idea into enduring care for children. I look forward to sharing the next shining example of what your gifts can accomplish.

Warmly,

Benjamin D. Hoffman, MD, FAAP

President