The Service Connection, Volume 8, Number 1, July 2000 Page: 4
8 p. : ill.View a full description of this periodical.
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health care at
Colonies
Generally described as
unincorporated communities
burdened by the lack of physical
infrastructures such as running
water, storm drainage, sewers and
paved streets, "COLONIAS" are
home to an estimated 500,000
Texans today. They are Texans with
a profound sense of family, history
and cultural pride. They are driven
by an untiring commitment and
desire to enhance the quality of
their lives and those of their
children. Numbering nearly 1,450
along the Texas/Mexico border,
these areas have become a
geographic, social and economic
state of isolation for innocent
children, women and men. They are
truly a sad reminder of the
debilitating effects of poverty, lack
of education and social isolation.
The colonias have a high incidence
of diarrheal diseases amongst their
children, the constant threat of
hepatitis caused by pit privies that
contaminate shallow wells and the
daily difficulty of living without
water.
It comes as no surprise that
colonias are experiencing a high
population growth. With this growth
comes an increased demand for a
far-reaching array of health and4 The Service Connection
human services, employment, job
training and development and
educational opportunities.
Over the years, countless
initiatives have been launched to
address the ills of life in Texas'
colonies. It has become readily
apparent that within the scope of
Texas state government, there are a
number of well-designed programs
targeting colonias and their
residents. Efforts such as the
Colonias Program administered
through the Texas A&M University
School of Architecture's Center for
Housing and Urban Development
have proven to be extremely
effective in combating isolation
among impoverished residents. The
program has also helped colonia
residents gain the knowledge and
resources to better understand their
conditions and identify possible
solutions to their problems.
More recently, the Texas Health
and Human Services Commission
(HHSC), in keeping with its
strategic priorities of enhancing the
conditions that support good health
and self sufficiency in South Texas
colonias, has launched a new
initiative that will better coordinate
the delivery of services to colonias
by health and human services
agencies in Texas. Under the
guidance of newly appointed
Special Assistant for Border Affairs
David Luna, HHSC hopes to
identify ways of providing colonia
residents with better access to state-
funded programs.
At a recent meeting in Laredo,
Luna had an opportunity to meet
with Laredo area service providers
and lay out some preliminary plans
for maximizing the efforts delivered
by various state agencies on behalf
of colonia residents. Since hisL
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Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The Service Connection, Volume 8, Number 1, July 2000, periodical, July 2000; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1543621/m1/4/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.