Impact Insights: How Our Outreach Team is Meeting People Where They Are
At Friends For All, we don’t wait for people to come to us—we go to them. That’s exactly what two of our incredible team members, Cristobal Valdebenito, Prevention, and Outreach Manager, and Yadi (Ellie) Garcia, Bilingual Early Intervention Specialist, recently demonstrated when they took the stage at a national conference to present on our outreach efforts here in Memphis.
Cristobal and Ellie are part of the powerhouse teams leading our outreach and early intervention efforts—teams that are not only breaking down barriers to care but also rewriting the playbook on how community health work gets done in the South.
Their presentation, titled “Meeting People Where They Are,” offered an honest look at the challenges facing our city and how we’re working every day to meet those needs head-on.
Cristobal Valdebenito, Prevention and Outreach Manager, and Yadi (Ellie) Garcia, Bilingual Early Intervention Specialist, mingling at the 2025 Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit.
What We’re Seeing in Our Communities
Our outreach isn’t just about handing out flyers or setting up tables. It’s about meeting people—often those most overlooked—where they are and offering real, compassionate support so that everyone has the same access to social and health services. Here’s what we’ve learned:
Disparities Are Deep: Of the nearly 3,700 people tested from Nov. 2023–Nov. 2024, 51% were Black/African American, and 12% were Hispanic—communities that continue to face the highest barriers to healthcare.
Women of Color Are Underserved: While our mobile outreach locations (MOL) screened fewer people overall, they reached a much higher percentage of women and people of color, including 60% Black/African American and 24% Hispanic.
New HIV Diagnoses: We identified 22 new HIV cases—and immediately worked to link those individuals to care.
PrEP Works, But Access Varies: Our fixed site clinic initiated most PrEP starts, but mobile efforts remain under-resourced—yet crucial to equity.
Why Language and Culture Matter
Ellie, along with two other bilingual staff members, has been a driving force behind our expanding Hispanic outreach. Many Spanish-speaking community members experience stigma, fear, or simply can’t find care they can understand. Since Friends For All focuses on making sure that everyone has access to the health and social care services they need, our organization has made efforts to find gaps and fill them, regardless of racial or sexual identity.
Here’s how we’re filling the local language gap:
Partnerships with Latino-serving organizations like Su Casa, Latino Memphis, and the Guatemalan Consulate.
Culturally and linguistically responsive care that builds trust.
A 15% increase in screenings among Hispanic/Latino individuals in just a few months.
“Two recent Hispanic people told us it was the Spanish-speaking staff that made them feel safe. Now, they’re telling their friends about PrEP.” — Ellie Garcia
Presentation Graphic for Meeting People Where They Are Through Outreach Efforts by Critobal Valdebenito and Yadi Ellie Garcia from Friends For All.
How We’re Moving Forward
Our work doesn’t stop here. Based on what we’re learning:
We’re exploring deploying a nurse practitioner on our mobile units to initiate PrEP in the field.
We’re continuing to build culturally competent care models that can be replicated across Memphis.
We’re growing partnerships and training more bilingual staff to reach even more people.
You Can Help Us Keep Going
The work Cristobal and Ellie are doing is bold, smart, and deeply needed—but we can’t do it without you. If you believe that everyone deserves access to care—no matter where they come from, what language they speak, or what they can afford—please consider making a donation to Friends For All.
Donate Now to help us meet people where they are—and keep them there with care!
