National Minority Health Month 2006
Community Outreach and Information Dissemination Core
EXPORT HEALTH
Building Healthy Black Families:
Mind, Body and Spirit
March 10, 2006
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
On behalf of the faculty and staff at the Center for Minority Health, we want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to our success in any way during the past 12 years. We also want to invite you to join us as we observe National Minority Health Month (NMHM) for the fourth year in April . Our theme is Building Healthy Black Families – Mind, Body and Spirit; and Saturday April 8, 2006 is the date of our Premiere Event, taking place at the Kingsley Association. The day will feature various fun activities that will engage the entire family while at the same time, promoting health. Our featured activity includes a performance by the New York-based and world famous Double Dutch Divas. The day also includes a climbing wall, a variety of physical activities, medical and mental health screenings, health education workshops, information tables, cooking demonstrations, community businesses and vendors and much, much more. Last year, more than 3,000 people participated throughout the day.
We encourage your participation in all of our health promotion events occurring throughout the month of April and around the city. We will focus on our seven health disparity priority areas organized by the CMH Health Disparity Working Groups. All events are free, open to the public, and include health and wellness screenings, games, refreshments, and door prizes. Details about each of the following events can be found on this website under the name of each Working Group:
- Cancer Working Group: “Healthy Lungs, Healthy Life”
- Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Working Group: “Get Moving to Prevent and Control Diabetes and Heart Disease”
- Infant Mortality Working Group: “4th Annual Community Walk for Building Healthy Families and Healthy Babies”
- Immunization Working Group: “Immunizations – The Key to Healthy Black Families”
- HIV/AIDS Working Group: “HIV/AIDS Film Series – Real Life, Real Talk”
- Mental Health Working Group : “Caring for the Caregiver”
We will also be co-hosting Health Promotion Sunday at St. Paul AME Church (Beltzhoover) in partnership with the Urban League of Pittsburgh and the Metro Urban Institute’s Healthy Church Network. We encourage all clergy throughout the county to observe National Minority Health Month by including a health message in at least one of their April sermons.
As you can see, there will be something during the month for everyone!! So, feel free to browse through “Showcases” on our website (www.cmh.pitt.edu) for details regarding each event. While browsing, think about how you, your family, your community, civic group or community based organization can get involved or volunteer during the month of April. Please be an advocate for health promotion and disease prevention for everyone.
The community health outreach activities sponsored by the Center for Minority Health are made possible with financial support from The Pittsburgh Foundation, DSF Charitable Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Poise Foundation, the Maurice Falk Fund, the NIH National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and other local partners listed on our website.
For more information please call : 412-624-5665 and remember to help us spread the word!
Sincerely,
Stephen B. Thomas, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Minority Health
Philip Hallen Professor of Community Health and Social Justice
