Countywide : Sales of Tamales to Aid Diabetes Patients

A Latino health organization this week kicked off its second annual Sabor y Salud (Taste and Health) campaign, announcing that it now has four distribution centers throughout the county where people can buy low-fat tamales and help diabetes patients get medical treatment.

During the first year of Latino Health Access, a nonprofit group based in Santa Ana, 240 diabetes patients received free lessons on how to control their disease. Forty of those patients were seen by doctors and underwent laser surgery or other treatments to correct vision and other problems caused by diabetes, said America Bracho, chief executive officer of Latino Health Access.

The treatments and doctor visits were mostly paid for with the $5,000 raised from the sale of 3,000 tamales and 2,000 wearable miniature tamale pins, Bracho said. In addition, expensive ongoing medical treatments were offered at 50% discounts, and payment plans were arranged for the needy patients by the Latino organization.

Diabetes is the fifth-leading cause of death among Latinos, Bracho said.

This year, the goal is to sell at least 5,000 tamales and 4,000 pins at $1 apiece, Bracho said.

To place orders, call (714) 542-7792. Tamales are made by the diabetes patients and delivered to four distribution centers in Santa Ana, Fullerton, San Juan Capistrano and Irvine, where people can pick up their orders.