SALUD is a multicultural health coalition in Storm Lake, Iowa that organizes health-based events with local organizations, working towards a healthy community for all. Diane Daniels founded SALUD in 2012 There exists no leadership board since all SALUD participants eventually take on leadership positions of their own. Meetings involve informal conversations and presentations among 20 to 30 members at a time during monthly meetings that fall on a Friday. SALUD consists of a significant percentage of members from minority groups and diverse communities. Many of whom work at health centers, schools, nonprofits, and law enforcement. A lot of them are also parents, spiritual leaders, or students.  

Mayra Lopez has been a SALUD member for about 2 years now. She learned about SALUD while she was a college student at Buena Vista University, and got on board with the coalition after graduating in 2017 because she felt the coalition was inclusive to Latinas like herself. SALUD attracts diverse populations because they provide a safe space that is free of judgment or discrimination. Even when discussing controversial issues, SALUD members are able to conduct themselves in an ethical manner where all opinions are respected.

SALUD also organizes, plans, and leads in local events. SALUD encourages participation from community members to participate in the Parade of Nations, which is part of Storm Lake’s annual 4th of July celebration: Star-Spangled Spectacular cultures are represented in the Parade of Nations, such as Sudanese, Micronesian, Laotian, Mexican, Salvadorian, Hmong, Karen, Czech, Dutch, etc. SALUD helps organize the registration process and set-up for the parade. About 10-15 groups on average will participate in the Parade of Nations event (depending on the year). The Parade of Nations is an event where SALUD members showcase their cultures through art, clothes, dance, and music. 

SALUD is non-partisan but not necessarily non-political.  Political issues that affect the health and well-being of our immigrant and refugee neighbors are of concern to the coalition.  Members are always free to participate or not in the activities we generate or with which we become involved. An example of this is the recent Lights for Liberty vigil that was a national event, protesting the inhumane conditions faced by immigrants, migrants and asylum seekers who are forced to stay in detention camps on the southern US border.  When coalition members Mayra Lopez and Joanne Alvorez expressed interest in participating by organizing the vigil in Storm Lake, they had the support and blessing of SALUD.

Storm Lake’s Public Safety Director is an active SALUD member. He has helped strengthen the relationship between the town’s diverse communities and the local police department. 

SALUD’s strength comes from its members’ commitment and dedication to giving back to the community and fostering relationships in the process. Another strength is the coalition’s fluid, non-structured organizational style, which is reflected within its informal subcommittee meetings. Subcommittees address community needs and concerns which vary from issues such as health care, food security, mental health, and social work.  Diane’s house provides a familial setting where subcommittee members are able to “take off their shoes and relax” while coming together to discuss some of the community’s biggest challenges. 

“[SALUD] is wherever we are,” Lopez says. In other words, SALUD members view the coalition as a lifestyle focused on cultivating a familial space where one feels a real connection with their neighbors. Although the monthly meetings, subcommittee meetings, and events are carried out with the necessary structure, organization, and accountability to bring about the desired outcomes, the tone of these activities is one in which we honor relationships over outcomes.

SALUD members promote health as a multifaceted idea that includes spiritual, mental, physical, and social well-being. When confronting health challenges in the multicultural community, SALUD encourages action from community members. For Lopez, “A community is only as healthy as its members, and by members, I mean ALL its members.” Going forward, SALUD seeks to connect and start a conversation with all members in the Storm Lake community.