Health Advocacy Reaches Workers in the Vineyard

2026 Core Grant: $60,000 for Promotora de Salud programming

Walla Walla’s wine industry is built by many hands. VITAL Wines exists to make sure the people doing that essential work are recognized, valued, and connected to the health resources they deserve.

As a nonprofit winery, VITAL Wines turns community support into practical care for vineyard and winery workers and their families. Its work focuses on health equity, especially for Latino agricultural workers who may face language barriers, limited access to care, seasonal income pressures, or uncertainty about where to turn for help.

One of VITAL’s most important programs is Promotora de Salud, or Community Health Advocate. This role helps bridge the gap between workers, families, clinics, and community resources. A promotora can help people understand their options, navigate appointments, connect with services, and feel less alone when health questions or crises arise.

That kind of support is deeply practical. It can mean helping someone get care before a problem becomes an emergency. It can mean connecting a family to vision care, direct assistance, or a bilingual clinic. It can mean building trust between health systems and the people they are meant to serve.

Sherwood Trust is proud to support VITAL Wines’ Promotora de Salud programming with a 2026 Core Grant. The grant helps sustain community-based health advocacy for vineyard workers and families whose labor is central to the region’s identity and economy.