The “La Abuelina” communications campaign Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar (For Our Health and Wellbeing) produced by Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has received a local Emmy Award from the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) for the third consecutive year.
"Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar - La Abuelina Family and the COVID-19 Vaccine" was presented an Emmy for best public service campaign (single spot) during the 65th National Capital Emmys Award ceremonies held at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. La Abuelina was produced to encourage Latinos to take charge of their health and make well-informed decisions in response to COVID-19.
The video public service announcement (PSA) was created in conjunction with related campaign TV PSAs that have garnered more than 10 million views in the Greater Washington area since first airing during the fall 2020.
NATAS highlights content and performance excellence in the television industry. The Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar nomination for a single PSA placed it in direct competition among the best video work in its category in the Maryland, Virginia and District of Columbia region.
La Abuelina Family and the COVID-19 Vaccine was produced by Communications Shop, which serves as Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar’s communications and media firm. The County’s Latino Health Initiative is a program of DHHS.
“I want to congratulate the Communications Shop and our DHHS’ Latino Health Initiative for their successful outreach and communication efforts in educating and encouraging our Latino families to remain healthy and safe as we continue to stay vigilant against the virus,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “We are committed to unwavering support for our community, and creative campaigns such as this one are at the core of our mission to evoke action and eradicate social indifference.”
Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar focuses on curbing COVID-19 infections among the Latino community, which was among the hardest-hit communities in the area. The initiative provides testing, vaccination and other services and resources in a linguistically and culturally competent manner to the Latino community of Montgomery County, thereby helping them address and cope with the impact caused by the pandemic.
The Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar initiative is a public-private partnership created under the leadership of County Executive Elrich, County Councilmember Gabriel Albornoz and former Councilmember Nancy Navarro. The County’s Latino Health Initiative has led Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar in partnership with seven community-based organizations: Care For Your Health, CASA, Identity, Inc., Mary’s Center, Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic, Proyecto Salud Clinic and the Up County Hub.
The PSA features the animated characters “La Abuelina” and her family members as the spokespersons for the campaign. The creation of ‘La Abuelina’ was a collaborative process rooted in the realities, input and direct feedback from the local Latino community.
The PSA speaks directly to the Latino community, delivering timely, accurate and culturally competent Spanish-language COVID-19 messages. The PSA has been featured on diverse social and digital media and traditional communications platforms to encourage Latinos to take charge of their health and make well-informed decisions in response to COVID-19.
