Our Programs & Services
Our Programs & Services
Advocates For Community Wellness takes a wholistic approach to wellness. This is why we have created our Culture of WELLTH Initiative. Wellness is more than simply being in good physical and emotional health. Our educational programs strive to incorporate all 8 aspects of wellness: physical, intellectual, emotional, social,
spiritual, occupational, financial, and environmental.
Healthy Families Equal Healthy Communities Wellness Initiative
Healthy Families Equal Healthy Communities Wellness Initiative
Education is key, and this is why we have created our Healthy Families Equal Healthy Communities Wellness Initiative. The Wellness Initiative objective is two-fold: 1) provide health education and resources to improve health and wellbeing and 2) help families in underserved communities achieve the opportunity to be as healthy as possible with health education. This annual initiative offers a series of hands-on cooking classes, monthly wellness workshops and other outreach community programs.
Nutrition Education &
Healthy Cooking Classes
Increasing your knowledge of nutrition and diet is at the heart of Advocates for Community Wellness. It is our belief that health first starts with goes into our bodies. In our nutrition classes you will learn basic principles of healthy eating and how food impacts our health. Workshops are monthly but can be customized to fit any needs.
Cancer Awareness Education &
Survivorship Support
Cancer Awareness Education &
Survivorship Support
We seek to increase the availability of cancer education and wellness support resources for members in underserved communities throughout the Chicago area. Our goal is to increase community members’ general knowledge about cancer and connect community members with integrative networks to provide wellness support to improve health outcomes.
Mental Health
Awareness Education
Mental Health
Awareness Education
Mental health is an essential part of physical health and satisfaction. However, many minority
communities suffer from mental health concerns, such as anxiety and also depression. Our outreach programs provides awareness education and connects community members and families with mental health resources in the local community to improve wellbeing.
Well-Woman
Wellness Promotion
Program
This program address barriers to accessing both quality healthcare services and wellness promotion education, as well as provides resources to support the social and basic health needs of women in underserved communities. This program also offers educational workshops that provide health education and interactive discussions on disease prevention and management and the importance of annual health screenings.
Absol-delicious | Eat Well for Better Health
(A Lifestyle Nutrition Program)
Absol-delicious | Eat Well for Better Health
(A Lifestyle Nutrition Program)
The Absol-delicious Eat Well For Better Health offers hands-on and or virtual cooking classes allowing families to learn, prepare and cook low-cost nutritious meals and snacks on a budget with the goal of introducing and promoting a plant-based diet. Participants prepare meals in class while they are increasing nutrition knowledge, learning new skills and sampling new recipes. During the classes, they are encouraged to make changes in their daily eating habits. Each class is co-facilitated with a nutrition educator and a culinary instructor. All of the classes are interactive, fun, educational, and FREE to participants. The classes not only provide health education but also give referrals for fitness activities located in safe environments within the community..
Along the Journey: Cancer Awareness and Survivorship Support Program
Cancer disparities are evident in Chicago’s African American communities and Black women have the highest death rate and shortest survival time for breast cancer in the nation. This new program focus on Awareness Education and Survivorship Support for women of color who are at risk for or diagnosis with breast cancer. Awareness workshops provide general breast cancer education, identifies risk factors, and promotes screenings for early detection. The program also offers survivorship support for those affected by breast cancer with community resources along with education for physical, nutritional, and emotional support to help improve health during and after treatment. The program is free and will be open to individuals in Chicago communities and surrounding neighborhoods.
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Well-Woman Wellness
Promotion Program
Well-Woman Wellness
Promotion Program
The Well-Woman Wellness Promotion Program helps reduce barriers to health equity and increase health literacy for women in underserved communities by increasing community linkages to health and educational resources, providing health education and healthcare navigation assistance to those in need. With the collaboration of community partners, we provide educational workshops (in-person or virtual) that offer interactive discussions on disease prevention, chronic disease management, nutrition education, the importance of annual health screenings, recommended cancer screenings, mental health awareness, and provide a local resource guide where individuals can access healthcare.
They All Matter:
Cancer Awareness Workshops
They All Matter:
Cancer Awareness Workshops
As many know and understand, cancer is a disease that can affect anyone, but it does not affect everyone equally. Cancer affects each population differently, and underserved communities in the United States bear a greater burden for many cancers. This program offers workshops that focus mainly on breast, lung, colon, prostate and cervical cancer and include discussions on known physical and environmental risks factors, early signs and symptoms, healthy eating plans to reduce risk, and appropriate age related screenings. The workshops provide supportive resources for those livings with a cancer diagnosis as well as referrals for FREE or low cost cancer screenings.
Diabetes & Heart Disease Education Class
Diabetes & Heart Disease Education Class
According to some studies, two of the most common diseases in Illinois are diabetes and heart disease. However, these are both preventable when caught at an early age through healthy diet and regular physical activity. Diabetes and heart disease often go hand in hand and heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. If you have diabetes, you’re twice as likely to have heart disease. Learn the basics about disease and heart disease and how to protect your health with simple lifestyle changes that can positively impact your overall wellbeing.
Mental Health & Wellness Program
We seek to destigmatize mental health by increasing health literacy and helping individuals in minority communities understand that mental health is an essential part of well-being. These workshops help to connect community members and their families with mental health resource education
in the local community to improve wellbeing.
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Financial Wellness
Workshops
These workshops provide education to increase financial literacy to help community members and their families understand the basics of good money management, how to budget, how to save and how to spend money wisely.
What community members are saying.....
What community members are saying.....
"I use to drink about a liter of soda a day maybe more. I would say, I was addicted. After attending the nutrition education and hands on cooking class, I stop drinking my calories and have switch to other strategies that I have learned in the hands on nutrition education and cooking class. This is just the first step to many to follow. Thanks now, I re-think my drinks before I consume liquid calories.
Cheryl, Retired Customer Service Rep