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Michelle Obama addressing Unity staff and clients. In the lower left is Jessica Wallace- program coordinator for We Can. Top left- a photo I took during one of our classes. Photo by Unity.
Michelle Obama- the first place you visited in DC was a health center, then you planted an organic garden on the White House lawn, to top things off you appeared on my favorite childhood show, Sesame Street, to deliver a public health message.
I wondered how you could make me happier.
Well- now you’ve done it. On June 29 Mrs. Obama came to Upper Cardozo Health Center, a FQHC (Federally Qualified Health Center) filled with dedicated professionals devoted to serving DC residents, especially the Latino population.
Here she announced FQHCs like Upper Cardozo would receive $851 million to “address immediate and pressing health center facility and equipment needs and increase access to health care for millions of Americans.”
Upper Cardozo alone will receive $2.5 million to build 20 (much needed) exam rooms to reach %24 more patients. Currently Upper Cardozo’s staff provide a phenomenal level of care in a very cramped space in Columbia Heights.
Michelle also learned about Upper Cardozo’s “We Can” program, the intervention I’ve been assisting with under the direction of project coordinator and physician assistant Jessica Wallace.
“We Can” is a public health program developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute that incorporates the entire family in reducing childhood obesity. Two of the women in the photo are program participants.
At Upper Cardozo’s “We Can” program we provide weekly classes where families learn to change to healthier habits, such as:
- Restricting soda intake
- Switching from whole milk to skim
- Enjoying a minimum of one hour of physical activity a day
- Portion control
- Limiting “screen time” to one hour a day
At class families enjoy healthy snacks, take part in fun activities like Capoeira, and learn about healthy living. Nurses help participants track their blood pressure, BMI, and weight through the sessions.
Thanks to the enthusiasm of Ms Wallace and the other Upper Cardozo staff, the program has continued to increase in participation and popularity.
Childhood obesity is one of Michelle’s issues has been taking on while in the White House. Although I wasn’t there for her visit, those in attendance at the meeting enjoyed her warm presence. One of the programs youth participants, Christian, even received a hug from Mrs. Obama for his 15th birthday.
In the field of public health we are often fighting an uphill battle. The “We Can” program provides a positive atmosphere for addressing and combating the childhood obseity epidemic. The stimulus bill includes one billion for programs addressing prevention and wellness. Mrs. Obama’s visit further energized the dedicated participants and staff who support “We Can.”
Thank you Mrs. Obama for thinking locally and taking the time to see the great work going on at DC’s Upper Cardozo Health Center! Hope to see you at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new exam rooms!
For More Information:
Learn how the stimulus will be used for health centers here
Fun and interesting blog on the “Obama Foodscape” here
Read the White House press release here
Read the First Lady’s remarks here
See more photos from the special day here
MWPHA and DCFB members march in an anti HIV/AIDS rally held last November in South East. Photo by FightHIVinDC under the Creative Commons License.
Do you live in Washington DC? Are you interested in becoming involved in a grass roots effort to eliminate health inequities? Consider becoming involved in the Metro Washington Public Health Association, (MWHPA). No public health experience is required- just passion!
Upcoming Activities:
Health Disparities Committee Meeting:
Thursday, May 14th
6:30 to 8:30pm
Columbia Heights Community Center
1430 Girard St. NW
Outreach Event!
Saturday- May 16th- and every 3rd Saturday of the Month
Meet 11:30am at the Washington Highlands Library
115 Atlantic St. SW
202.645-5880
Unfortunately due to class, work, and volunteering I’ve only been able to attend a few Health Disparities Committee meetings, but have attended many more outreach events. Outreach events are a great opportunity to get out in the community and talk to residents. It’s also a great wake up call for those living in the sheltered west-side of DC about the gross inequity and racism occurring in our city. No experience required- new participants will be paired with an experienced partner.
The Health Disparities Committee:
“focuses on these upstream factors in several ways. We support living wage campaigns, worker demands for health care and better working conditions, and affordable housing. We conduct outreach and education on the social determinants of health through films, exhibits, rallies, and slide shows. Our major efforts focus on HIV because it represents the most severe inequalities in health and society.”
Other projects include “Save Lives- Free the Condoms!” which is dedicated to stopping CVS pharmacies from locking up their condoms, and the “Community Health Advocate Project” which educates residents on how to find reliable online health information.
MWPHA members are a diverse, caring, and welcoming group. If any of these activities interest you- consider getting involved!
Other Related Groups:
- DC Fights Back
- RAP, Regional Addiction Prevention
- Save Lives! Free the Condoms
- Campaign to End AIDS
- Prevention Justice Mobilization
- CHAMP
- Jobs with Justice DC
- EmpowerDC
- American Public Health Association
For More Information:
Find out more on the MWPHA Health Disparities Committee here
Have an event you would like Elpis to post? Email me at elpisandjustice@gmail.com
Do you have a vision of what you want your money to support? Consider attending the conference at All Souls this weekend! Photo by Kevin Dooley through Creative Commons.
Just because you are compassionate towards people and the environment doesn’t mean you’re against making money. However, for an individual who cares about what activities their money supports, investing can seem daunting.
I believe in using what income I have for multiplying good. Why spend $2 a cup of conventional cup of coffee, when you can spend $2 on a cup that gives a fair wage to a small farmer, supports ecological diversity through shade growing, and promotes organic agriculture in a developing country? Your return is more than a jolt of caffeine!
The same goes for investing. But how does one go about investing responsibly?
This weekend, May 9 from 9:00 AM until 5, the All Souls Unitarian Church in Columbia Heights, Washington DC will be holding a conference titled:
“Money, Values, and Impact- A Conference on Ethical Investing For UU Congregations“
This exciting conference features guest speakers and workshops tailored from the novice to the expert.
People who the conference could benefit:
- Leaders of organizations active in racial, social, economic and/or environmental justice projects
- Church/organization administrators or other staff responsible for finances
- Investment/Endowment/Finance Committee members
- Congregational members working on affordable housing or community economic development
- Board of Trustees members and officers
The program is also recommended for individuals interested in SRI.
Want to know more?
Check out the website for a schedule, list of speakers, and more details.
Register for the conference, just $25, here.
Please email me if you are interested in contributing to and/or attending the institute. elpisandjustice@gmail.com
Why do Native Americans suffer many of the worst health disparities in the United States?
What lessons can be learned from the history of health care services provided to American Indians and Alaska Natives by the US government?
How do the answers to these questions affect the development of community health solutions?
For the past several years the George Washington University’s School of Public Health has been offering courses in indigenous health, with a focus on American Indians and Alaska Natives. The course seeks to raise awareness among non-Native students about indigenous health issues and to encourage Native students to pursue a fulfilling careers in public health.
We are now in the planning phase for the 2009 course. We are seeking:
- Native persons who are considering studying public health, or would like to have an introduction to the field
- Native and non-Native students committed to improving the health of indigenous communities
- GWU and non-GWU students. We are investigating scholarship opportunities for Native non-GWU students. If you are aware of resources, please let me know.
- Professionals who would would like to attend or be guest speakers
There are two courses: Introduction to Indigenous Health and Case Studies in Indigenous Health (with an emphasis on policy, interventions, and solutions).
Interested? Want to know more? Please contact me! elpisandjustice@gmail.com
Our next meeting is Friday, February 28.
The flyer from last year’s institute. Tution, dates, and topics will change. I’ll post the new flyer as soon as it is ready.
Please note: This is not an official release from GWU. I am a student member of the planning committee.
The original Emancipation Proclamation, issued in 1863, made a rare public appearance at the National Archives this past weekend.
Yesterday I had a little bit of free time and decided to head down to the National Archives to see the original Emancipation Proclamation, complete with Lincoln’s signature. The document is fragile and is rarely put on public display.
Its special appearance, coupled with the Lincoln Bicentennial and Obama’s inauguration brought quite a crowd to the archives. The wait was over 3.5 hours.
“And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.”
Yes, I’m sure there are many cynical things a proper historian could say about the Emancipation Proclamation, but I put most of my cynicism in the front seat of Bush’s homebound helicopter. Instead I saw it as an example of what good public policy can accomplish. This document lead to the release of so many from the horrors of bondage and violence.
It was a wake up call to the obvious: all people are people.
In retrospect the proclamation seemed inevitable. In retrospect granting women the right to vote seemed inevitable. In retrospect desegregation seemed inevitable. However, “inevitable” or not, people fought, struggled, and suffered to make these things happen.
I started to wonder, if I were to issue my own executive order, what would it be? Health care as a human right? End of corporate personhood? Free college/graduate education? Hmm….
If you could issue your own executive order, your own “Emancipation Proclamation,” what would it be?? Please post in the comments!
Even as far back as the Washington Monument, the crowd was still packed
This past Tuesday, me and two million of my closest friends came together on the National Mall to watch Obama be sworn into office. Although the temperature was frigid, I was kept relatively warm both by the tightly packed crowd, and by feelings of absolute elevation.
People had a lot of reasons to be crabby; the weather, lack of space, and a message board blocking our view of the jumbotron. However, every person I came in contact with was exceedingly friendly and patient. I loved being in such an integrated audience. Not only was I witnessing the inauguration of the first black president, but was also among 2 million white, black, American Indian, Latino, etc others who were thrilled to be together to share in the moment. I was so happy to be alive at a time when this was possible instead of the lonely segregated islands that have predominated most of American history.
“New Era of Responsibility”
It wasn’t until Obama’s election that I realized the victim complex that I’d been experiencing for the past eight years. Working on any justice issue, from public health to the environment, felt Sisyphean. There was little hope of making much of a difference (although many still did despite the political environment). Instead we worked to maintain at least the status quo until the leadership changed.
Now things are different. Starting at noon on the 21st we’re headed by an administration that shares many of our values. The campaign charged some of the most disadvantaged portions of society with the feeling that “yes we can.”
Although I’m excited, I have to admit I’m also a little nervous. For eight years we had a place to put the blame. Now, as Obama coined in his speech, we’re in “A New Era of Responsibility.” In this context we must take responsibility to bring about change and not simply wait for the government to do it for us.
There is concern Americans won’t give Obama their patience. The changes he would like to enact will take time. However I have reason to believe people will be patient. Patient in part because we have been given good advice.
Obama hasn’t told us to wait, or to recover from a terrorist attack by shopping, or to spend our stimulus checks. Instead, to use the over quoted Gandhi line, we must “be the change [we] wish to see in the world.” Yes, prior to Obama, millions of Americans have given their time and energy to improve the world in which we live. However, having the president acknowledge the power and importance of such endeavors brings a feeling of partnership instead of antagonism.
Yes, you can do more than just enlist in the military to serve your country.
Approach your volunteering and activism with renewed energy and passion. “Community Organizer” is no longer a dirty word. We have a president who will no longer push the boulder back down the hill. In the words of Obama:
Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
Looking for ways to get involved?
Keeping in touch
Feeling good
Earlier this December I began this blog by encouraging readers to pledge to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Today I noticed another public health blog I often read, The Pump Handle, posted an excellent video recommendation. I’ve embedded it here for your Friday procrastination pleasure.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Next week, December 16-18th just outside Washington D.C., the National Institutes of Health, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and Department of Health and Human Services will be holding a free summit on
“The Science of Eliminating Health Disparities”
The summit is intended for scientists, health care professionals, public health workers, as well as anyone who is affected by health disparities, or is interested in being a part of the solution. Speaking personally, events I attend on a whim tend to be excellent. If this interests you, please go!
According to the website the event will feature forums, lectures, and workshops on the causes, consequences, and solutions to health disparities.
To register for the summit, please go here.
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