1602-11936

California: Support to the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC) to act as a lead grassroots convener across a diverse, statewide network of stakeholders, with a strong presence in Sacramento, as part of the Grassroots Engagement Strategy. LCHC’s major milestones and accomplishments during the first year of participating in the Oral Health 2020 network revolved around 1) increasing LCHC’s trusted relationships with other California grassroots networks and partners, and bringing them into the OH2020 movement; 2) increasing awareness among their network about the importance of oral health to well-being in the Latino community, 3) collecting information from community members about their perceptions of the opportunities and barriers to good oral health while understanding the current reality that exists around oral health, and 4) building a cadre of promotores/community health workers trained to deliver interactive presentations designed to raise consciousness about oral health as a social justice issue, disparities in oral health, and also to help identify policy opportunities that can reduce oral health disparities in the Latino community. Oral Health 2020 investment of $100,000 will be used to 1) continue "thickening" the connections between LCHC and the OH2020 California Grassroots partners and other key oral health and health equity players across the state 2) maintain, strengthen and expand LCHC's Oral Health Promotor and Regional Networks that will lead and develop a policy agenda that focuses on oral health priorities for Latino and minority populations in California and 3) develop and disseminate oral health information to increase health equity among community residents, policy makers, and other key health/oral health stakeholders. This investment aligns with the Oral Health 2020 goal to improve the public perception of the value of oral health to overall health.