Community Health Prevention Intervention Education & Research

COMMUNITY HEALTH PREVENTION INTERVENTION EDUCATION AND RESEARCH WAS ESTABLISHED TO DECREASE THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF CHRONIC DISEASE, OBESITY, UNHEALTHY LIVING, AND THE TRANSMISSION OF STDS AND HIV IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES THROUGH HEALTHY EATING, LIVING, AND REGULAR HEALTH CHECKS.

HEALTH CHECKS FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV. HIV IS KNOWN TO ATTACK WEAK AREAS OF THE BODY AND CAUSE SEVERE HEALTH ISSUES DUE TO THE LACK OF IMMUNITY. IF UNDETECTED, IT COULD DO IRREPARABLE DAMAGE. IF DETECTED AND NOT TREATED, IT COULD RESULT IN VERY SERIOUS ILLNESSES AND EVEN DEATH. OUR ORGANIZATION MAKES HIV TESTS AVAILABLE AT NO COST AND PROVIDE RESOURCES TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE DETERMINED TO BE INFECTED. WE ALSO PROVIDE COUNSELING SERVICES FOR THE INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE DISEASE AND TO ENSURE THEY UNDERSTAND HOW TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR LOVED ONES. THOUGH IT IS NOT TRANSMITTED AS A COLD, FLU OR OTHER CONTAGIOUS DISEASES, IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR PROPER NOURISHMENT AND CARE DUE TO THE DECREASE IN NATURAL IMMUNITY. THIS IS AS IMPORTANT FOR THE PERSON INFECTED AS IT IS FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT. WE WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF CARING FOR THEMSELVES BEFORE THEY BECOME ILL AS WELL AS AFTER. WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO THEM ANY RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP WITH THIS ISSUE AND TEACH THEM TO LIVE ALERT AND AWARE OF WHAT THEY SHOULD AND DO PUT INTO THEIR BODIES, THE THINGS THAT CAN HARM THEM AND THE THINGS THAT CAN HELP THEM. WE GO TO RURAL AREAS IN OUR MOBILE UNIT AND PROVIDE THESE SERVICES TO PEOPLE WHO FIND THIS TYPE OF CARE NOT EASILY ACCESSIBLE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WHO NEEDS THIS KNOWLEDGE AND ASSISTANCE IS ABLE TO RECEIVE IT.

A HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN WAS FUNDED FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENSUING THE RIGHTS OF THE UNDERSERVED PEOPLE BEING SERVED BY OUR ORGANIZATION HAVE THEIR RIGHTS PROTECTED HERE AS THEY ARE ANYWHERE ELSE. PARTICULARLY PERSONS IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY HAVE DIFFICULTIES ACCESSING THINGS THAT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THEM, AND IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF SEVERAL FOUNDATIONS THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. MISSION EDGE AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN FUNDED A SPECIAL PROJECT FOR THE DELTA REGION THROUGH OUR ORGANIZATION.

A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR PROGRAM IS INTRODUCING EXERCISE TO PEOPLE IN IMPOVERISHED REGIONS, PARTICULARLY THE ELDERLY. MANY OF THEM BECOME INACTIVE AND FIND THAT THEIR WEIGHT GETS OUT OF CONTROL, THEIR BLOOD SUGAR AND OTHER LEVELS GET OUT OF CONTROL, AND THEY BEGIN TO DEVELOP AILMENTS THAT REQUIRE CONTINUOUS MEDICATION AND TREATMENT. ALONG WITH THE EXERCISE, WE TEACH THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY EATING AND EXPLAIN TO THEM THE THINGS THAT ARE HARMFUL IF CONSUMED IN EXCESS AS WELL AS THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN GOOD HEALTH. WE ARE IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS THAT CAN BE ACCESSED BY PHONE AND COMPUTER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ACCESS AND CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN PERSON. SOME OF THEM CANNOT PARTICIPATE BECAUSE OF THEIR HEALTH, AND FOR THOSE, WE ALSO PROVIDE RESOURCES THAT CAN BRING HELP TO THEM.

HEALTHY EATING IS A VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF GOOD HEALTH. THIS APPLIES TO ALL PEOPLE, FROM CHILDREN TO THE ELDERLY. IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY FOR PEOPLE TO EAT HEALTHY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE COST OF FOODS TODAY. THROUGH A GRANT FROM USDA, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST MANY FAMILIES TO ATTAIN HEALTHY FOODS AT NO COST TO THEM. WE MADE SURE THAT THE CHILDREN WHO WERE IN SCHOOL HAD HEALTHY BREAKFASTS, LUNCHES, AND EVENING MEALS. WE SAW IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR GRADES, AND THEY DID NOT MISS A LOT OF SCHOOL WHILE IN THE PROGRAM. ALL FAMILY MEMBERS WERE BETTER ABLE TO WARD OFF SICKNESSES, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT ARE CONTAGIOUS, AND GENERALLY EVERYONE PARTICIPATING EXPRESSED THAT THEY FELT BETTER THAN THEY HAD PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM.