By Janice Barbee, Cultural Wellness Center
Thank you to all the residents who participated in the Listening Circles and the Walk-Around door-to-door or telephone interviews.
Gracias a todos los residentes que participaron en los grupos de pláticas y en la encuesta, en persona o por teléfono.
Waxaan u mahadcelineynaa dhamaan dadki kasoo qeyb galeen fikrad isweydaarsigi iyo wareysi xaafadaha oo ka dhacay xaafadaha kamid ah Phillips, Powderhorn Park , Central iyo Corcoran.
BYI Assessment Completed
The implementation of the health assessment of Backyard residents is now complete. The Listening Circles were completed in September and the Walk-around, where community residents hired by Wilder Research interviewed community residents about their health, was completed in January. Over 650 interviews were completed, in person or by phone.
In accordance with one of the principles that guide the Backyard Initiative community engagement, “Any assessment of needs or assets, strengths or weaknesses, must be done by residents or with residents,” the assessment process has been planned, guided by, and implemented from start to finish by residents of the Backyard area. For the residents who were involved in conducting the door to door and telephone interviews the process has been engaging and full of insight. Stories from this process and the information from both the Listening Circles and the Walk-around will be shared in upcoming reports.
CHAT Teams
On January 14 the CWC held a reunion of all the members of the BYI”'s CHATs (Community Health Action Teams) that have been meeting in 2009. Members were introduced to one another and the role of CHAT Teams was revisited:
CHATs are work groups made up of residents who have been studying, searching and examining specific health prevention strategies. The work of the CHAT teams is guided by the definition of health as stated and adapted by BYI residents. Residents who are interested in joining an existing CHAT team or who wish to form a new one may contact the Cultural Wellness Center. The CHATs are actively seeking new members. All CHAT team meetings are regularly held at the Center.
- Rebirthing Community: Bringing Elders and Youth Together: This team is focused on bringing elders and youth together for a “rebirthing” of community. The team has discussed mentoring and visual arts as a way to bring the generations together.
- Establishing Anchor Families: This team is seeking to establish “anchor families” in each neighborhood who can teach life skills and guiding values to youth as well as connect youth and their families to resources for wellness.
- Mapping: This group is identifying the services that exist in the Backyard area which treat sickness and also those that prevent sickness.
- GLBT: A team is looking at the health concerns of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.
- Food and Nutrition: This new group is now forming to discuss ways to support healthy eating.
All residents of the Backyard area (East Phillips, Midtown Phillips, Ventura Village, Phillips West, Central, Powderhorn Park, and Corcoran) are welcome to attend the meetings. It is never too late to join a CHAT team. Contact the Cultural Wellness Center (612-721-5745) for more information.
