New Haven has more than 35 Protestant Hispanic churches, mostly in the Hill and Fair Haven, and most of them are members of the local Hispanic clergy alliance, which in turn is a member of the statewide federation. The federation held a founding conference in New Haven last month.

“We’ve taken the initiative to do what we’ve been doing individually and locally for years, and trying to create an umbrella for all Hispanic ministries in the state," Hernandez said, “to work on not only spiritual, but the social, everyday needs that people have."

Health care is definitely one of those needs, since more than 260,000 people in Connecticut don’t have health coverage, “and a very good number of those folks work," Hernandez added. “Through work, they’re helping their employer, and they have no type of benefits. To see there are folks who might work and get sick and are afraid to go to the hospital because they’ll get a letter from a collection agency, or have their wages garnished or have foreclosure on their homes -- that brings us great concern."

The alliance collaborates with the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut on issues of the rising cost of health care and denial of care to those who lack insurance. (Disclosure: The foundation contributes money to the Online Journalism Project, which publishes this web site.)

Hernandez also works closely with CORD (Communities Organized for Responsible Development), which is demanding concessions from Yale New Haven Hospital in the hospital’s plan to build a new cancer center. It also opposes the hospital’s practice of garnishing wages or putting liens on homes when patients can’t pay their hospital bills.

He gave an example: “We learned of a woman who works part-time and owns a house, and when she needed surgery the hospital wanted her to sign over her house as collateral in order to get the surgery she desperately needed. When we were made aware of that we told her not to do that. She eventually qualified for free care, but it took several months."

Hernandez said the ministers have often taken to the street to protest what they consider unfair policies, but now, “We want to change our protest into proposals." They are working with legislators toward health care reforms to contain health care costs and expand access to care, not only for children but for everyone.

Just who are these folks without insurance coverage? Many of them are Hispanic, but, Hernandez said, “There’s a stereotype that when people think about Hispanics without health insurance, they think of illegal immigrants. And people might think, 'Well, if they’re not here legally, they shouldn’t get health insurance.’ But the fact is that Hispanics who are here legally, who have been born and raised here," often can’t afford health care either.

Hernandez is not himself a minister; he is the general manager of Radio Amor, a Christian Spanish language radio station with studios in the Hill. Before that, he worked for years in youth programs.

He said the Hispanic ministers’ federation is limited to the Protestant ministers in the state. “However we do have strong ties with other denominations and good relations with other organizations that are really concerned with family values." Together they have opposed civil unions, gay marriage, abortion and emergency contraception.

What about other supporters of universal health care who are on the other side of that social and moral divide? “There are times when we work with organizations with which we agree to disagree in certain areas," Hernandez said. "If we disagree with them we tell them so, but down the road if we need to meet again, we can do that. When you’re trying to build some type of movement, there are those who are against what you’re doing who try to use the divide and conquer tactic."

As for affordable health care, he said, “This is an issue that should be addressed quickly. Here in Connecticut, I just pray that the lobbyists are kept out of this and the legislators can make the best decision they see fit. We have the biggest gap between the rich and poor -- the greatest in the whole country. That’s sad and very troubling, and makes you kind of scared to think how many people are going to be out of their homes, how many are going to lose their jobs, how many kids are without health care."