Sobre Nosotros

About Us

Somos Promotores de Salud

La Junta y el Personal de Bienestar Collective son Promotores de Salud con una profunda experiencia vivida que nos conecta con el trabajo que realizamos cada día. Entendemos los desafíos que enfrentan nuestras comunidades porque los hemos vivido nosotros mismos, y esa perspectiva da forma a todo lo que hacemos.

Estamos al Mando

Como una cooperativa sin fines de lucro dirigida por trabajadores, tomamos decisiones juntos, combinando nuestra visión colectiva, cuidado y experiencia para generar un cambio significativo.

Somos Trabajadores de Cuidado

Somos más que trabajadores de la salud; somos trabajadores de cuidado. Este trabajo es una extensión de quienes somos: personas apasionadas por cuidar y fortalecer a nuestras comunidades.

We Are Community Health Workers

The Board and Staff at Bienestar Collective are Community Health Workers with deep, lived experience that connects us to the work we do every day. We understand the challenges our communities face because we’ve lived them ourselves—and that perspective shapes everything we do.

We Are In Charge

As a worker-directed nonprofit cooperative, we make decisions together, combining our collective insight, care, and expertise to create meaningful change.

We Are Care Workers

We are more than health workers; we are care workers. This work is an extension of who we are—people passionate about caring for and strengthening our communities.

Nuestras Historias

Martha Zuniga, CHW (ella)

Director Ejecutivo y Entrenadora de Promotoras (Bilingüe)

  • Mi nombre es Martha Zuniga. Emigré de México en 1990 y he sido residente del condado de Sonoma desde entonces. A lo largo de mi vida y carrera, siempre he tratado de ayudar a la comunidad y he estado involucrada en el apoyo a muchas organizaciones diferentes. He sido una participante activa en eventos comunitarios, desde asistir a marchas de demostración para trabajadores agrícolas, hasta organizar eventos culturales y liderar el primer PTO en español para nuestro distrito, siempre con el objetivo de apoyar y dar voz a quienes son menos afortunados. Mi carrera también se ha centrado en trabajar para organizaciones sin fines de lucro que brindan servicios sociales a poblaciones vulnerables. Haz clic abajo para leer más…

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Our Stories

Martha Zuniga Chief Executive Officer

Conéctate con Martha / Connect with Martha

Martha Zuniga, CHW (she/her)

Executive Director & CHW Trainer (Bilingual)

  • My name is Martha Zuniga. I emigrated from Mexico in 1990 and have been a resident of Sonoma County ever since. Throughout my lifetime and career I have always strived to help the community and have been involved in supporting many different  organizations. I have been an active participant in community events from attending marching demonstrations for farm workers, to organizing cultural events, to leading the first Spanish language PTO for our district, always with the goal of supporting and giving a voice to those less fortunate. My career has also been focused on working for nonprofit organizations providing social services to vulnerable populations. Click below to read more…

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Martin Riverola, CHW (él)

Vicepresidente de la Junta & Entrenador Promotoras de Salud (Bilingüe)

  • Soy originalmente de Buenos Aires, Argentina, y a la edad de 14 años, mi padre (un cirujano pediátrico cuya carrera se vio afectada por la dictadura militar de finales de los 70) decidió empacar y mudarse con la familia (mi madre y seis hijos) a Baltimore, Maryland. Con un inglés básico y limitado al llegar, completé mis últimos dos años y medio de secundaria allí. Justo después, fui a la Universidad Americana en Washington DC, pero me fui después de un año. Me quedé en DC y trabajé como mensajero en bicicleta durante cinco años. Me casé y poco después nació allí mi primer hijo. Haz clic abajo para leer más…

  • With lots of support from my spouse at the time, I resumed taking college classes and by late 1993, I was admitted and enrolled as a Cal Poly State University (SLO) student, where I graduated in 1996 with a BS from the College of Agriculture. My second son was born in San Luis Obispo. After an unsuccessful coming back home to Argentina, in late 1998 my family and I returned to the US and made it for the first time to Sonoma County, more specifically to Agua Caliente. Soon after, I joined SR Memorial Hospital, Community Benefit Dept. as a community organizer (job title that today would be under CHW umbrella). That was 25 years ago, but what I experienced then sent me off to my public health career. At the 5 year mark at Memorial, I suffered textbook-case of burnout (the job that you love so much at the same time has drained you entirely) and I left to work on my own as a consultant in grassroots campaigns and other community engagement (Petaluma Ordinances to prevent youth binge drinking and others). At the same time, I was working as a consultant for the National Adult Literacy Institute (INEA) of Mexico and becoming a Popular Educator following Paulo Freire’s pedagogy. That experience will come very useful at my next post, Center for Well-Being’s Promotora de Salud Coordinator. In the 7 years I spent there, there was exponential growth of our CHW Program, at that time staffed primarily with volunteers and very few paid positions. I ended up serving as Community Health Manager and oversaw many contracts, including multiple with DHS. By early 2019, I left the US to enroll in the MPH program at the Universidad Nacional Córdoba (Argentina). Of course, one year later, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived and I was honored to be asked to serve in the response to the pandemic as a Promotores de Salud Coordinator for the small town I was living in. There, the Promotora team did contract tracing, education and prevention, run testing sites and vaccination campaigns, serving with nurses, social workers and other healthcare team members. I graduated in late 2020 (my thesis was evaluation and analysis of Core Competencies training in CHWs). In early 2022, I was told that there was a HPM CHW grant Project Director position in DHS and I was honored to be selected for that role. A little over two years since joining DHS, I am very proud of the work our DHS team has done with this massive $6M grant and with the impact it has had on the CHW Landscape in Sonoma County.

Conéctate con Martin / Connect with Martin

  • I am originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina and at the age of 14 years old, my father (a pediatric surgeon whose career was impacted by the military dictatorship of the late 70’s) decided to pack up and move the family of mom and 6 children to Baltimore, Maryland. With limited, basic English upon arrival, I completed my last two and half years of high school there. Right after, I went to American University in nearby Washington DC, but I left after one year. I stayed in DC and for 5 years I worked as a bicycle messenger. I married and shortly thereafter my first son was born there. Click below to read more…

  • With lots of support from my spouse at the time, I resumed taking college classes and by late 1993, I was admitted and enrolled as a Cal Poly State University (SLO) student, where I graduated in 1996 with a BS from the College of Agriculture. My second son was born in San Luis Obispo. After an unsuccessful coming back home to Argentina, in late 1998 my family and I returned to the US and made it for the first time to Sonoma County, more specifically to Agua Caliente. Soon after, I joined SR Memorial Hospital, Community Benefit Dept. as a community organizer (job title that today would be under CHW umbrella). That was 25 years ago, but what I experienced then sent me off to my public health career. At the 5 year mark at Memorial, I suffered textbook-case of burnout (the job that you love so much at the same time has drained you entirely) and I left to work on my own as a consultant in grassroots campaigns and other community engagement (Petaluma Ordinances to prevent youth binge drinking and others). At the same time, I was working as a consultant for the National Adult Literacy Institute (INEA) of Mexico and becoming a Popular Educator following Paulo Freire’s pedagogy. That experience will come very useful at my next post, Center for Well-Being’s Promotora de Salud Coordinator. In the 7 years I spent there, there was exponential growth of our CHW Program, at that time staffed primarily with volunteers and very few paid positions. I ended up serving as Community Health Manager and oversaw many contracts, including multiple with DHS. By early 2019, I left the US to enroll in the MPH program at the Universidad Nacional Córdoba (Argentina). Of course, one year later, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived and I was honored to be asked to serve in the response to the pandemic as a Promotores de Salud Coordinator for the small town I was living in. There, the Promotora team did contract tracing, education and prevention, run testing sites and vaccination campaigns, serving with nurses, social workers and other healthcare team members. I graduated in late 2020 (my thesis was evaluation and analysis of Core Competencies training in CHWs). In early 2022, I was told that there was a HPM CHW grant Project Director position in DHS and I was honored to be selected for that role. A little over two years since joining DHS, I am very proud of the work our DHS team has done with this massive $6M grant and with the impact it has had on the CHW Landscape in Sonoma County.

Martin Riverola, CHW (he/him)

Board Vice Chair & CHW Trainer (Bilingual)

Jennifer DeDecker, Ph.D., LMT, CLC (ella)

Secretaria de la Junta & Entrenadora de Bienestar Colaborativo

  • Desde que tengo memoria, he estado interesado/a en la salud y el bienestar. Ese interés se entrelaza constantemente en mi vida con mi pasión por la comunidad y la colaboración. Recibí una doble licenciatura de la Universidad de Kansas en Biología y Antropología, con un certificado menor en Estudios Religiosos. Durante mi tiempo en KU, tuve la oportunidad de asistir a profesores en dos laboratorios de psicología, uno cognitivo y otro de neuropsicología, lo que despertó mi interés en la investigación en las ciencias de la salud. Haz clic abajo para leer más…

  • Después de graduarme, me mudé al condado de Humboldt, CA, para asistir a la escuela de terapia de masajes. También comencé a trabajar en el ámbito del trabajo de parto en el condado de Humboldt y llevé ambas profesiones conmigo cuando me trasladé a la Península Superior de Michigan. En 2014, abrí un estudio de bienestar, Full Moon Rising, y he estado ofreciendo masajes y trabajo corporal, instrucción de yoga y atención plena, servicios de doula, asesoramiento en lactancia y educación perinatal. A lo largo de la década, hemos crecido de un equipo de uno a un equipo de cinco, y hacemos nuestro mejor esfuerzo para servir como un faro de bienestar para nuestra comunidad.

    En 2023, después de reavivar mi amor por la investigación, completé mi doctorado en Medicina Mente-Cuerpo en la Universidad de Saybrook, con especialización en Liderazgo Consciente en el Cuidado de la Salud. Mi trabajo doctoral se centró en la atención sanitaria compasiva, y actualmente soy profesora adjunta e investigadora cualitativa en los Departamentos de Investigación y Medicina Mente-Cuerpo en la Universidad de Saybrook. Estoy comprometida con la educación y el avance en los campos de la psicología somática, la neurociencia contemplativa, la ética, las ciencias sociales y la medicina mente-cuerpo. Me considero una visionaria dedicada, académica-practicante y aprendiz de por vida, esforzándome continuamente por desarrollar el bienestar comunitario sostenible y asociaciones de atención médica para el mayor beneficio de nuestros clientes y pacientes.

    Resido en una pequeña comunidad rural con mi esposo y mis dos hijos adolescentes. Sirvo en la Junta de Educación local y, como propietaria de un negocio local, mis intenciones siempre son servir a mi comunidad lo mejor que pueda y abogar por la igualdad y el bienestar global.

Connect with Jenny

Jennifer DeDecker, Ph.D., LMT, CLC (she/her)

Board Secretary & Collaborative Wellbeing Trainer

  • For as long as I can remember I have been interested in health and wellness. That interest continually dovetails in my life with my passion for community and collaboration. I received a double B.A. from the University of Kansas in Biology and Anthropology with a minor certificate in Religious Studies. During my time at KU I had the opportunity to assist professors in two psychology labs, one cognitive and one neuropsychology, which piqued my interest in research in the health sciences. Click below to read more…

  • After graduation I moved to Humboldt County, CA, to attend massage therapy school. I also began working in the world of birthwork in Humboldt County and carried both of those professions with me when I relocated to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  In 2014, I opened a wellness studio, Full Moon Rising, and have been offering massage and bodywork, yoga and mindfulness instruction, doula services, lactation counseling, and perinatal education. Over the decade, we have grown from a team of one to a team of five and do our best to serve as a beacon of wellbeing for our community. 

    In 2023, after reigniting my love for research, I completed my doctorate in Mind-Body Medicine from Saybrook University with a specialization in Mindful Leadership in Healthcare. My doctoral work focused on compassionate healthcare, and I am currently an adjunct professor and qualitative researcher in the Departments of Research and  Mind-Body Medicine at Saybrook University. I am committed to education and advancement in the fields of somatic psychology, contemplative neuroscience, ethics, social sciences, and mind-body medicine. I am a dedicated visionary, scholar-practitioner, and life-long learner, continually striving to develop sustainable community wellbeing and healthcare partnerships for the greatest benefit of our clients and patients.

    I reside in a small, rural community with my husband and two teenage children. I serve on the local Board of Education and as local business owner, my intentions are always to serve my community to the best of my ability and remain and advocate for equality and global wellness. 

Shari Sunshine, MA (ella)

Miembro de la Junta Directiva y Entrenadora de Bienestar Colaborativo

  • A principios de la década de 1970, fue un momento que cambió el paradigma en el mundo de las cooperativas y las comunidades intencionales. Fui miembro del colectivo en la Ashland Food Coop en Ashland, Oregón, y viví en una comunidad internacional en el norte de Nuevo México llamada la Fundación Lama. Estas experiencias informaron mi deseo de participar en la construcción comunitaria, la toma de decisiones por consenso y la política laboral colaborativa. Haz clic abajo para leer más…

  • Fui pionero/a en la ola de educación en bienestar que tuvo lugar a finales de la década de 1970 cuando asistí a la escuela de masajes en la McKinnon School of Massage en Oakland, California, en 1977. Mi profesora, Judith McKinnon, me pidió que le prometiera que aprendería algo nuevo cada año para seguir enriqueciendo mi educación en masaje. He cumplido con su petición y he continuado aprendiendo de algunos de los maestros más estimados y magistrales de todo el mundo, incluyendo a Pierre Pannetier de Terapia de Polaridad, Arthur Pauls de Orthobionomy, Medicina Tibetana de Gelek Gyatsu en Nepal, Mantak Chia de Sanación Taoísta, Su Santidad el Dalai Lama, y muchos más. Estudié Medicina Tradicional China y obtuve una Maestría en Ciencias del maestro taoísta Shifu Lily Su en Honolulu, Hawái y China.

    He viajado extensamente y he enseñado masaje y trabajo corporal internacionalmente desde 1978. He desarrollado un estilo único de trabajo corporal terapéutico que se basa en la conciencia, la auto-reflexión y la compasión, tanto para el profesional de la salud como para el cliente.

    Ahora vivo en Auroville, una comunidad internacional en el sur de India, donde comparto la riqueza de mi amplio aprendizaje y experiencia con personas de todo el mundo en un entorno muy especial enfocado en el aprendizaje y la construcción comunitaria.

Connect with Shari

Shari Sunshine, MA (she/her)

Board Treasurer & Collaborative Wellbeing Trainer

  • The early 1970’s was a paradigm changing  time in the world of cooperatives and intentional communities.  I was a member of the collective at the Ashland Food Coop in Ashland, Oregon and lived in an international community in Northern New Mexico called the Lama Foundation. These experiences informed my desire to participate in community building, consensus decision making and collaborative workplace politics. Click below to read more…

  • I was a “pioneer” in the wave of wellness education that took place in the late 1970’s when I went to massage school at the McKinnon School of Massage in Oakland, California in 1977.  My teacher, Judith McKinnon, asked me to promise her that I would learn something new every year in order to keep enriching my massage education.  I have done as she asked and continued to learn from some of the most esteemed and masterful teachers from all over the world, which included Pierre Pannetier of Polarity Therapy, Arthur Pauls of Orthobionomy, Tibetan Medicine from Gelek Gyatsu in Nepal, Mantak Chia of Taoist Healing, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and many more.  I studied Traditional Chinese Medicine and received a Masters Degree in Science from the Taoist master Shifu Lily Su in Honolulu, Hawaii and China. 

    I have traveled extensively and taught massage and bodywork internationally since 1978.  I have developed a unique style of therapeutic bodywork which is based in awareness, self reflection and compassion, for the health practitioner as well as the client.  

    I now live in Auroville, an international community in southern India where I share the riches of my extensive learning and experience with people from all over the world in a very special environment where the focus is on learning and community building.

Estela Vengas, CHW (ella)

Miembra de la Junta & Entrenador Promotoras de Salud (Bilingüe)

  • Me llamo Estela Venegas y soy mexicana de primera generación nacida en Estados Unidos. Mi madre es de Piedras Negras, Coahuila, y mi padre es de Pachuca, Hidalgo. Se conocieron en Sunnyvale, California. Mis padres emigraron aquí con mis abuelos para trabajar y tener una vida mejor. Haz clic abajo para leer más…

  • Me crié hablando español y más tarde aprendí inglés en la escuela, participando en uno de los primeros programas piloto bilingües en San José, California. Mis padres me inculcaron la importancia de nuestra cultura y nuestro idioma. A lo largo de mi vida, también asistí a la escuela en México. La educación era un valor importante en mi familia. Nací en San José, California, y reconocí la importancia de apoyar a mi comunidad hispanohablante.

    Me especialicé en Psicología Anormal durante mi educación. Comencé mi carrera trabajando en la comunidad con individuos que tienen discapacidades de desarrollo. Mi trabajo ha incluido el manejo de casos, consejería entre pares, defensa contra la violencia doméstica y servicios de salud mental. Me centro en ayudar a las familias hispanohablantes monolingües a acceder a recursos esenciales para la asistencia sanitaria, ayuda financiera y asistencia para la vivienda.

    Recientemente, he comenzado a asesorar y proporcionar apoyo de formación para Promotoras y Trabajadores Comunitarios de la Salud en organizaciones comunitarias y centros de salud. Llevo más de 30 años apoyando y abogando por las personas.

Conéctate con Estela / Connect with Estela

  • My name is Estela Venegas. I am a first-generation Mexican born in the United States. My mother is from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, and my father is from Pachuca Hidalgo. They met in Sunnyvale, California. My parents came here with my grandparents to work to provide a better life for themselves. Click below to read more…

  • I was raised speaking Spanish and later learned English at school at one of the first bilingual pilot programs in San Jose, California. My parents taught me the importance of our culture and language. I also attended school in Mexico throughout my lifetime. Education was also very important in my family. I was born in San Jose, California, and saw the importance of supporting my Spanish-speaking community.

    I went to school and specialized in Abnormal Psychology. I started my career in the community, working with individuals with developmental disabilities. I have supported individuals through case management, peer counseling, and domestic violence advocacy, as well as in mental health services. I specialize in assisting monolingual Spanish-speaking families in accessing essential resources for healthcare, financial aid, and housing assistance. Recently, I have begun mentoring and providing training support for Promotoras and Community Health Workers in community-based organizations and health centers. I have been providing support and advocacy to individuals for over 30 years.

Estela Venegas, CHW (she/her)

Board Member & CHW Trainer (Bilingual)

Tobin McKee, CHW (elle)

Desarrollador de Cooperativas, Entrenador de Promotoras y Entrenador de Bienestar Colaborativo (Bilingüe)

  • Nací en Colorado y he pasado la mayor parte de mi vida en la Costa Oeste. Mis padres me enseñaron a trabajar duro por el bien de mi comunidad. Mis experiencias con el dolor crónico y la salud mental han moldeado mi enfoque en mi trabajo y mis relaciones—con empatía, paciencia y un profundo respeto por la resiliencia de los demás. Sanar, crecer y aprender de esas experiencias me ha dado fe, esperanza e inspiración. Haz clic abajo para leer más…

  • He sido trabajador de cuidado y educador de bienestar por más de 25 años. Me convertí en Promotor de Salud Comunitaria porque satisface mi profundo deseo de servir a mi comunidad. También soy Desarrollador Cooperativo y trabajador-propietario en dos cooperativas. Ayudar a las personas a formar cooperativas comunitarias es mi manera de participar en el activismo por la justicia social. En Bienestar Collective, tengo la oportunidad de combinar toda mi formación, experiencia y compasión.

Conéctate con Tobin / Connect with Tobin

Tobin McKee, CHW (they/them)

Cooperative Developer, CHW Trainer, and Collaborative Wellbeing Trainer (Bilingual)

  • I was born in Colorado and have spent most of my life on the West Coast. My parents raised me to work hard for the benefit of my community. My experiences with chronic pain and mental health have shaped how I approach my work and my relationships—with empathy, patience, and a deep respect for the resilience of others. Healing, growing, and learning from those experiences has given me faith, hope, and inspiration. Click below to read more…

  • I’ve been a care worker and wellness educator for more than 25 years. I became a Community Health Worker because it fulfills my strong drive to serve my community. I’m also a Cooperative Developer and worker-owner in two cooperatives. Helping people form grassroots cooperatives is my way of participating in social justice activism. At Bienestar Collective, I have the opportunity to combine all of my training, experience, and compassion.