HARLINGEN, Texas — Born out of the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Harlingen-headquartered nonprofit Latinx Voces is expanding its grassroots mission to advance health equity across the Rio Grande Valley.
Founded and led by Dr. Paulina Sosa Quintanilla, the organization blends health education, professional development, and community-centered advocacy to tackle pressing regional wellness challenges.
Sosa Quintanilla sat down with the Rio Grande Guardian to discuss the nonprofit’s origins, its mission, and its upcoming second annual national conference set to take place later this month in Brownsville.
"Latinx Voces is a nationally focused nonprofit, but with a specific scope of focusing on the Rio Grande Valley, and we are based and headquartered here in Harlingen," Sosa Quintanilla said. "Everything that we do is to make sure that health and wellness remains the continued focus of the work that we do."
The organization officially launched during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic to fill severe information gaps in underserved communities. Since then, its focus has broadened to address emerging post-pandemic priorities, including chronic disease prevention, healthy living, mental health, emergency preparedness, and rural health equity.
"Our mission statement is to empower communities by advancing health access, community well-being, and cultural representation through education, storytelling, data partnership, and community-centered advocacy," Sosa Quintanilla stated.
While Latinx Voces operates nationwide with a lean team of four staff members, Sosa Quintanilla anchors the organization's local presence directly from South Texas.
Sosa Quintanilla recently stepped onto the stage at TEDx Brownsville—a milestone she described as both demanding and deeply rewarding. Her presentation focused on the power of storytelling and the necessity of intentional listening in a fast-paced digital era.
"Storytelling is at the foundation of the work we do at Latinx Voces," Sosa Quintanilla said. "How do we sit in a story to truly hear everything that a story has to share with us, and then also highlight that the storyteller should be honored in being able to share their story?"
Latinx Voces will host its second annual Voces Health Summit from October 21 to 23 in Brownsville, Texas. Held in partnership with Mayor John Cowen and the City of Brownsville Health Department, the national summit brings together cross-sector leaders to explore the central theme: Bridging Health and Culture.
"Culture plays a central role in how we perceive food, physical activity, and wellness," Sosa Quintanilla explained. "We want to make sure that cultural aspects of our community remain central in the conversations we have around health, especially here in the Valley."
The three-day event will feature:
The summit targets health professionals, physicians, nurses, faculty, students, small business owners, and community advocates. Attendees seeking professional growth can earn up to 10 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for social workers, promotoras de salud, and certified public health professionals.
Participants are traveling from across the country, including New Mexico, Minnesota, and Arkansas, to participate in networking and collaborative sessions.
"If there is one thing this summit promises, it is tools for your toolset and amazing new partners to continue the work in this year and beyond," Sosa Quintanilla said.
For event details, registration, or partnership inquiries regarding the upcoming Voces Health Summit (Oct. 21–23), visit latinxvoces.org.
