Community Health Workers (CHW) are community members who provide education, resource referrals, basic medical information, and help navigate the healthcare and medical system. Our CHWs are located at NAYA, NARA, and NWI and are trained in COVID-19, help with community testing events, and provide system navigation and basic resources to people who have COVID-19 or who are close contacts identified by a healthcare provider. They help organize our Baskets of Hope resource deliveries, assist with community support circles, and provide COVID Conversations every Thursday where participants can get the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 and the vaccine.
Our CHW's take referrals directly from Multnomah County, the community, and our local urban Native clinics. To reach out for information or to be connected to a CHW, please contact fgc@multco.us.
Content Note: Some of the images include direct eye contact and some of the images contain needles with images of CHW's who are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Chenoa Landry (Puyallup, She/Her)
Chenoa is a life long learning of public health and wellness. One thing she is looking forward to is a return of in person powwows, canoe journeys, and rouddances. She enjoys spending time revitalizing the Lushootseed language with her amazing kids, beading, hiking, and sewing.
Jennifer Pirtle (Siletz, She/Her)
Jennifer is a single mom and full time student at Portland Community College. She has lived in Portland for eight years and is one of the Elder and Natural Helpers. She chooses to call this area home because of the beautiful Native Community that she considers family.
Laura Joseph (Cheyenne River Sioux/Northern Arapaho, She/Her)
Laura has resided in Portland, Oregon since 1992. She is a student at Mt. Hood Community College, working toward her degree in Public Health and hopes to further her career in community health work. She has been involved with the FGC as a Natural Helper since 2012 as a volunteer and co-facilitator. Her involvement with the FGC has motivated her to continue her educational and career goals.
Poli Joshavama (Sun Clan Hopi, She/Her)
Nu’Polimana Joshevama yan maatsiwa. Itam tawawungwa anq Hopi anq Tucson. Hi! Polimana is from the Sun Clan Hopi and Tucson, Arizona. She graduated from Dartmouth with a degree in Environmental Studies, and is participating in the Wy’east Pathway at OHSU to prepare for medical school next year. She is super excited to be able to serve the urban Indigenous community in Portland as a Community Health Worker during this time of crisis as it greatly aligns with her goals as a future practitioner. When she's not working or studying Poli loves to get her hands dirty while gardening and enjoys taking her dog to the park. Poli is very grateful to be a part of this quaran-team and help provide services to those who need it.
Devin Dugi (Navajo, He/Him)
Ya'at'teeh My name is Devin Dugi. I am Diné (Navajo) from Tuba City, Arizona. I am of the Tangle Clan and born for the Manygoats Clan. I am a Public Health student at Portland State University with an interest in tribal health promotion. As a new community health worker with NAYA, I am excited to work with my awesome co-workers as we continue to help our Native communities defeat the COVID pandemic. I look forward to growing and learning from my fellow CHW's and Native community members in providing a culturally-informed and elder-led approach to community health for the Portland area. Additionally, my family and I enjoy traveling to local lakes for fishing, hiking, and kayaking. We are also big Phoenix Suns and Arizona Cardinals fans.
Lucy Suppah (Warm Springs & Shoshone Bannock, she/her)
My name is Lucy R. Suppah and I am a Community Health Worker (COVID-19 Support). I am an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Shoshone Bannock. I was born and raised on the Fort Hall reservation in Southeast Idaho. However, much of my young adulthood has been spent in the Portland area. I attended and graduated from Portland Community College, during which I participated in the Women’s basketball program and Native Nations group. I previously worked in administrative capacities with The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) and most recently with Indian Health Services (IHS). Currently, I am a junior at Portland State University, studying Community Health Promotion at the School of Public Health alongside the Urban Honors Program. I have a particular interest in food sovereignty and nutrition; however, all aspects of community health are in my scope of study. In my free time I enjoy reading (articles, books, etc.), listening to podcasts (TED, NPR and Sword and Scale), playing and coaching basketball, lifting weights, and binging the latest true crime series. I am eager to learn more about FGC and I look forward to supporting the community through our services.
The Community Health Workers collect poems, recipes, resources, healthcare information, and offer insights into the pandemic through this Native Newsletter distributed at COVID-19 testing events, our Baskets of Help Toolkits, and through the mail. If you're interested in receiving a print out or emailed copy of any of the newsletters, please reach out to fgc@multco.us .