We’re back after the winter break, and the health committee is hitting the ground running. If you’re thinking about joining a group that is actively making changes and improving the lives of your fellow community members, come join us.
We had some fun back during the break with a casual get-together at Turkish Delight (here’s a pic of us). For many of us, it was the first time we met in person outside of a Zoom call. Great food, lively conversation, and we even got a little bit of work done. We’re looking forward to hosting more of these throughout the year.
So, what’s happening?
The Bettye Davis Summit, February 10. The Health Committee will host a 1-hour presentation during the summit. We are deep in the planning stages for this. Two topics made their way to the forefront of our conversation: Funding and Capacity Building for Health Equity and Domestic Violence. We’re exploring presenters and considering how we may be able to cover both topics during the summit. Another panel will be on Black Men’s Health through Barbershops.
Community Conversation, February 18. With a rise in reported discrimination, we’re focusing the next Health Committee Community Conversation on Resilience and Resources. We’re exploring ways to present this Community Conversation as an interactive, hybrid (combined in-person and online) event. We’ve begun bringing together practitioners of various health modalities to be a part of this event.
Meeting with the CDC. As a result of attending the American Public Health Conference in November, Nate West has arranged a meeting with Dr. Jeffrey Hall from the Office of Health Equity at the CDC to discuss possible collaborations on the intersections of health and spirituality.
New community opportunity at The Nave. We have a new opportunity to partner with The Nave, a community center located in Spenard. RJ Fontaine McHendry presented an overview to the committee at our most recent meeting. We’re considering how to best work with her to create an interactive, community-focused event this fall. Stay tuned for details or join us to find out more.
Funding Updates:
Healthy and Equitable Communities Grant: The Health Committee submitted a grant application for Healthy and Equitable Communities through the Municipality of Anchorage. The Muni has not yet disbursed the funds. We will continue to follow up to find out when and if the funds will be disbursed.
Alaska Humanities Forum Grant: This grant was submitted with an eye to our Barbershop Project to present health education to men in our community and the immigrant community. We will hear on Monday the 15th (MLK Jr. Day!); if funded, this could also apply these funds to Black men and health at the Summit.