Churches will be hosting Choose Healthy Life Community Wellness programs in partnership with the United Way of New York City and Quest Diagnostics.
The events, free and open to the public, offer Blueprint for Wellness, a comprehensive risk-based healthy screening test.
In addition, Health Navigators receive training at Columbia University in Harlem and full-time jobs through a workforce development component of the program.
Get your pen and paper the events take place on Saturday, 12/17/2022, 10 am – 4 pm, Mobile Unit, 1322 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (Participating church, Brown Memorial Baptist Church), on Saturday, 12/17/2022, 9 am – 4 pm, St. Marks AME, 95-18 Northern Blvd, Jackson Heights, Queens 11372 and on Saturday, 12/17/2022, 1 pm – 4 pm
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 198 Chadwick Avenue, Newark, NJ 07108
The event will be joined by Rev. Brian D. Scott (Union Baptist Church of Harlem), Pastor Michael Adolphus (Amen Ministries), and other church leaders.
Health Navigators from the local community who receive training at Columbia University and full-time jobs with Choose Healthy Life helping their neighbors, Debra Fraser-Howze, founder of Choose Health Life, and Grace Bonilla, President, and CEO of United Way of New York City.
Choose Healthy Life is a non-profit faith-based organization that ensures Black churches –the oldest and most trusted institutions in the Black community – receive the resources to address health disparities through preventive wellness programs.
The organization was founded in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic by Debra Fraser-Howze with support from founding partner Quest Diagnostics and implementation partner United Way of New York City.
Now, the organization is focusing on overall equity in health access through the Community Wellness program and the Blueprint for Wellness – a free, comprehensive health screening developed in partnership with Quest Diagnostics.
The Blueprint for Wellness provides a clinical set of laboratory tests and measurements completed to highlight personal health strengths and risks. It is done right in the churches, where participants receive a printout of results they can bring to their doctors.
Health Navigators guide them through the process, eliminating barriers such as lack of medical insurance and apprehension.
In many cases, the program spurs people to take vital action to address health issues. The events have had a great turnout, with people waiting outside online for the doors to open.
There is also a workforce development component of the program, with Health Navigators who come from local communities and churches.
They are given training through a partnership program with Columbia University and full-time, well-compensated jobs as Health Navigators.
In many cases, they can utilize this education and experience to launch new careers in community health. This provides more economic mobility and equity as it empowers the drive to achieve racial health equity.
Photo credit: Rev. Al Sharpton.
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