NBLIC

Oregon Coalition
Annual Events
•African American Wellness Village
The AAHC’s signature event is the annual African American Wellness Village, held during the third week of October (see the Events Calendar). The purpose of Wellness Village is to provide the African American community with the opportunity to interface with healthcare providers to discuss health issues of interest to African Americans. Community members that would not otherwise visit healthcare providers for early prevention screenings receive free health screenings and services at Wellness Village.
•Annual Wellness Within REACH Walk
Held every September (see the Events Calendar), this annual community health walk allows the AAHC to engage and educate the community in healthy living practices as well as raise money to support the AAHC’s ongoing free physical activity classes in the community. Families, health advocates and community partners create a festive event that grows each year.
•Lookin’ Tight, Livin’ Right (LTLR)
LTLR is an initiative designed to train beauty and barber shop operators as health educators to help their clients learn CVD and how to make healthy lifestyle changes. Professional beauticians and barbers attend intensive trainings to prepare them to assess their clients’ readiness for change and to raise awareness about the disproportionate rate that African Americans are dying from preventable diseases. The operators learn about CVD (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, rheumatic fever) and its risk factors (diabetes, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, smoking).
•Wellness Within REACH: Mind, Body and Soul (WWR)
WWR offers African Americans in the metro area various venues to participate in free physical activity and nutrition classes in N/NE Portland. In collaboration with our community partners, AAHC produces ongoing activities such as aerobics (including low impact and water), dance, kickboxing, strength training, Tai Chi, walking groups, yoga and cooking and nutrition seminars. The AAHC works with our local churches,
the community.
 

•Healthy Options for Living Longer Actively (HOLLA)
HOLLA is a peer education project for high school students. The AAHC has partnered with health educators at Jefferson and Benson High Schools to produce two CVD prevention programs. The first program involves training students to become Community Youth Health Advocates. They learn how to deliver CVD prevention messages to middle and high school students. In the second program, HOLLA students produced a health promotion video titled “From the Heart”, which will air on local networks.
 

•Diabetes Support Groups
The AAHC organizes diabetes meeting groups to increase awareness and self-management of the disease, and reduce the health disparity among African Americans. Meeting facilitators create an open and supportive environment for group members, promote health education, and encourage close partnerships between diabetics and their health care professionals. The AAHC does not provide medical services.
 

•Spice It Up!
Spice It Up is a program that teaches African Americans how to cook healthy on a budget. The program is produced in collaboration with the Oregon Food Bank. Each session consists of a group of participants who attend a series of six classes, which focus on healthier ways to prepare meals at home. All participants commit to attend each class, assist with meal preparation, and contribute to group discussions.
•Not Afraid to Talk, Test or Transform (NATTT)
The AAHC has also been awarded a major federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In a collaborative effort that includes LifeWorks NW (formerly Tualatin Valley Centers), the Regional Research Institute at Portland State University and other local treatment centers, the AAHC implemented “Not Afraid to Talk, Test or Transform” (NATTT). This program provides HIV prevention education and linkage services for HIV screening and case management to African Americans currently enrolled in substance abuse programs.
Ongoing Programs
1st & 3^rd Thursday of month
 
Free Physical Activity Classes
Have fun and get fit in any of our ongoing free physical activity classes in North and Northeast Portland. These classes are designed to help African American increase their normal level of physical activity.
 

Diabetes Group Meetings
Attend an AAHC diabetes meeting and learn to live well by managing diabetes. Meetings are held at 7pm every 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at Legacy Emanuel Hospital, Room 1027, located at 301 N Graham. Contact Christie at 503.413.1850 or christiet@aahc-portland.org,
Contact: Keith Dempsy or Corliss Mc Keever (503) 413-1850