Our Goal

High-incidence rates of cancer, heart disease/stroke, diabetes, obesity and HIV/AIDS are having devastating effects not only on African-American individuals and families, but also on our community as a whole. These illnesses, coupled with poor nutrition, unhealthy lifestyles, and a lack of education often contribute to a host of other problems, including poverty, marital strain and both emotional and spiritual stress.

Although the compounding nature of these issues seems overwhelming, there is hope. Since 1998, Memphis Healthy Churches’ goal has been not only to educate our community on illness treatment and prevention, but also to halt the spread of poor health and poverty that is destroying our community.

Our Services

While our capacity is limited, there is no limit on our ability to educate and train community leaders to carry out the mission. Thus, we choose to equip and empower health representatives from participating organizations with the knowledge, support and resources they need to carry out the mission of addressing the rise in health disparities within the African-American community.

• We train health representatives within each participating organization to teach participants how to be good stewards of the body God has given them.
  
• We educate participating organizations on available resources for medical attention, regardless of insurance.
  
• Health representatives also learn how to address the spiritual needs of people who are suffering.

Specific training includes:

• Explanation of the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and potential negative impact of cancer, heart disease/stroke, diabetes, obesity and HIV/AIDS
• Major risk factors specific to African-Americans and methods of early detection related to the above health issues
  
• Appropriate support and counsel for individual patients and their families
• Methods of early detection advocacy
• Ways to promote healthy lifestyles
• Nutrition and exercise fundamentals