“We need to take the stigma away from mental health issues in the Black family”, said Healthy Heritage Movement founder Phyllis Clark.
(Ontario, Calif.) Join the Healthy Heritage Movement for a Healthy Laugh! “In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, Healthy Heritage is celebrating with a Comedy Show and Mental Health Resource Fair at the world-famous Improv Comedy Club in Ontario”, said Healthy Heritage Movement founder Phyllis Clark.
Our mission is to eliminate health disparities within the African American Community through health education, policy change, and community outreach, said Clark.
The Healthy Heritage Movement has assembled a group of more than twenty mental health professionals, organizations, and aware comedians to entertain and inform African Americans in the IE of what is available to help people on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at 4:00 pm.
“The day’s feature is a two-hour, stand-up clean comedy show at the Ontario Improv Theater for ages 18 and older,” said Clark.
The comedy lineup includes:Lamont Bonman, who has also performed as Rev Monty B. Sharpton in clubs, churches, and concerts across the country. He created the wildly popular group Rev Monty B Sharpton and the Anointed Oreos; Gayla Johnson, an actress and stand-up comedian; and Donna Maine, a L.A.-based clean, corporate comedian and comedy writer.
Also, Richard Weiss, popular comedian, author, comic strip publisher and Coachella Valley resident, who openly shares his pilgrimage from shame and pain, to joy, love and laughter, in person, in his comedic performances and on his website.
Co-sponsors include Community Mental Health Equity Project (CMHEP), Broken Crayons Still Color, California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP), California Department of Public Health and Riverside University Health System Behavioral Health and the African American Family Wellness Advisory Group.
Tickets are on sale for $25 online and at the Improv box office theater. “I know the event will sell out! Purchase your tickets today,” said Clark.
According to Clark, the night promises to be filled with laugher from a line-up of hilarious comedians, but it will also be an opportunity for individuals to talk to mental health professionals, gather mental health resources, network with the community, and enjoy good food and drink.
“Come celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month, and help Healthy Heritage continue our mission of removing the stigma of mental health in our communities! Ultimately, assuring us it is okay to not be ok,” said Clark.
This resource fair is also in celebration of our Broken Crayons Still Color Program, an 8-week program created around reducing the stigma of mental health for African American women. The program teaches effective strategies to identify signs of and cope with depression, stress, anxiety, PTSD, substance abuse and other mental health challenges.
For a list of Black mental health professionals in the Inland Empire, for a class near you or more information visit BrokenCrayons.org or call (951)293-4240 or email:
hhmmovement9@gmail.com
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About Healthy Heritage
Healthy Heritage Movement, Inc. was founded in 2007 by Phyllis Y. Clark in Southern California. Created to target and address health disparities within the African American community, Healthy Heritage Movement focuses on the wellbeing of African Americans through health education, policy change and community outreach. For more information on Healthy Heritage go to: www.HealthyHeritage.org
The comedy lineup includes:
Gayla Johnson is an actress and stand-up comedian. She’s appeared on such television shows as ABC’s Scandal, Supergirl, Bones, Greys Anatomy, Legions, The Fosters, Young & The Restless, Comedy Central’s Workaholics, and more. She has a diverse background in Theatre and a Degree in Broadcast Communications, she flowed into public speaking and then the challenging field of Standup Comedy. She has made guest appearances on COMICS UNLEASHED, SiTv’s LAFF JAM, INSIDE JOKE, B.E.T. COMIC VIEW, TBS COMEDY FESTIVAL, and the COMEDY TIME Series on YouTube. She’s quoted as saying “Stand-up Comedy is the one thing you can do badly, and no one will laugh at you”.
Donna Maine is an LA-based clean, corporate comedian and comedy writer (or less clean, depending on situation) who performs across the country. Her comedic insights run the gamut, including relationships, kids, medical background and coping with middle-age in a post-millennial world. Donna has been bringing laughter to all the major comedy clubs, the Burbank Comedy Festival, the inaugural Palm Springs Comedy Festival and events everywhere. She incorporates musical comedy and Christian comedy, writes jokes tailored to celebrations or roasts and has hosted numerous shows, including a long-running showcase of female comedians at Flappers Comedy Club. Donna can be heard co-hosting on radio, as well as doing voiceovers, and is a recent Funniest Housewives Finalist. She’s also available for acting roles. To make your event a fun-filled success, book Donna now!
Lamont Bonman has also performed as Rev Monty B. Sharpton in clubs, churches, and concerts across the country. He created the wildly popular group Rev Monty B Sharpton and the Anointed Oreos, known for their hilarious parodies which are featured on their CD Brand New Oldies. They are the Weird Al Yankovic of Gospel. Lamont is a series regular in the upcoming TV series Fifty and Over Club and will also be in the soon-to-be-released feature film Miracle of Tony Davis. From Las Vegas to Broadway, Lamont Bonman shares his gift and shares the Gospel.
Richard Weiss “Drinking led to blackouts for me which I call ‘The 90s’,” Weiss shares to a room full of laughter. “My family got together and gave me a little present… they got me tickets, luggage and a going away party called an ‘intervention’.” Richard Weiss, popular comedian, author, comic strip publisher and Coachella Valley resident, openly shares his pilgrimage from shame and pain, to joy, love and laughter in person, in his comedic performances and on his website.
Dr. Gloria Morrow, one of the nation’s leading clinical psychologists, with Bishop Craig W. Johnson, of Cathedral of Praise International Ministries in San Bernardino as they introduce the Black mental health program Broken Crayons Still Color Project.
YOU DON’T HAVE A DEMON – YOU NEED HELP!
“We need to take the stigma away from mental health issues in the Black family.”
(San Bernardino, CA) There is a tradition in Black families that says mental health problems are really a “demon” inside the person and all you need is prayer to get better. “You don’t have demon, you need help,” says Cathedral of Praise International Ministries, Bishop Craig W. Johnson last Sunday as he introduced mental health day with the Broken Crayons Still Color Projectcreated by the Healthy Heritage Movement.
Bishop Johnson’s comments introduced one of the nation’s leading clinical psychologists Dr. Gloria Morrow and the Broken Crayons Still Color Project to the Cathedral of Praise congregation in two services discussing the need for professional mental health in the Black Community.
Broken Crayons Still Color Projectis an eight-week program created and presented by the non-profit Healthy Heritage Movement at churches in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. It is taught by Dr. Gloria Morrow and Dr. Candance Walters.
Bishop Craig W. Johnson, of Cathedral of Praise International Ministries in San Bernardino and Phyllis Clark, founder of Healthy Heritage Movement agree to quarterly classes of the Black mental health program Broken Crayons Still Color Project.
“This program is designed for African American women to learn effective strategies to cope with and identify signs of depression, stress, anxiety, PTSD, substance abuse, and other mental strains,” said Dr. Morrow.
“Broken Crayons Still Color Project is important to implement in the faith community because churches are one of the central institutions for African Americans; and when they are able to integrate spirituality with some of the psychological concepts that are important for them to learn, it really makes a difference,” said Dr. Morrow.
Dr. Gloria Morrow, one of the nation’s leading clinical psychologists, discusses Black mental health program Broken Crayons Still Color Project to the Cathedral of Praise congregation.
“Our Mission is to decrease health disparities and increase health equity in the African American Community”, said Healthy Heritage Movement founder Phyllis Clark.
“Some people in church don’t just need prayer, they need a pill, or they need therapy, or pastoral guidance. We do our best to distinguish between them,” said Bishop Johnson. “We need to take the stigma away from mental health issues in the Black family.”
Bishop Johnson understands the need for mental health support. Before becoming a pastor, he served as a Peer Group Counselor, Probation Group Counselor, Employment Services Counselor, Social Service Worker, Independent Living Skills Program Coordinator, Service Program Specialist, and Social Services Supervisor.
For a list of Black mental health professionals in the Inland Empire, for a class near you or more information visit BrokenCrayons.orgor call (951) 682-1717or email:pyclark@healthyheritage.org
The Broken Crayons Still Color Projectis made possible by the California Reducing Disparities Project – Office of Health Equity.
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About Healthy Heritage
Healthy Heritage Movement, Inc. was founded in 2007 by Phyllis Y. Clark in Southern California. Created to target and address health disparities within the African American community, Healthy Heritage Movement focuses on the wellbeing of African Americans through health education, policy change, and community outreach. For more information on Healthy Heritage go to: www.HealthyHeratige.org
About Bishop Johnson
Bishop Johnson is a graduate of California Baptist University with a BA in Religion and a BA in Behavioral Science, he studied Social Work and Public Administration at Cal State San Bernardino and a Doctor of Theology from Pentecostal Bible College. For more information on Cathedral of Praise church and Bishop Johnson go to: http://copim.org
About Dr. Gloria Morrow
Dr. Morrow has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, a Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific University, and a BS degree in Psychology from the University of La Verne. For more information on Dr. Morrow go to: http://www.gloriamorrow.com/bio.html
Edward Brantley, owner of Uncle Ron’s Barbershop in Redlands is the Black Barbershop Team Captain for the San Bernardino Area. He coordinated the program at Da Spot in San Bernardino.
Phyllis Clark, CEO of the Healthy Heritage Movement, Inc. is the coordinator for the Southern Inland Region for the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program. She is standing with John Jefferson, owner of Cold Cutz Barbershop in Riverside.
(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) Black men throughout southern California learned how to maintain good health while making a trip to their local barbershop on Saturday, Nov. 7.
The men and their barbershops, including 10 in the Inland Empire, took part in the Black Barbershop Los Angeles Area Health Outreach Program, a nationwide effort to help Black men take control of their health.
Working directly in participating barbershops, a team of nurses, physicians and volunteers provide health information, diabetes and hypertension screenings and referrals to no or low-cost primary care providers.
“I am thrilled with the results of this event,” said Phyllis Clark, founder and president of the Healthy Heritage Movement, which helped the 10 Inland Empire barbershops participate in this event. My goal was to screen 100 Black men in the Inland Empire, and I believe I more than reached my goal.”
Clark made a quick survey of two of the participating barbershops, Cold Cutz in Riverside and DaSpot in San Bernardino, and found almost 50 men had taken part at those two shops alone.
The other eight shops were in the West San Bernardino Valley and High Desert areas of San Bernardino County.
Clark added she hopes more barbershops will participate in what is expected to become an annual event with .
Phyllis Clark, who as the founder of Healthy Heritage Wellness Movement, is working with owners of Inland Empire Black barbershops to provide this outreach effort. “The program will use these barbershops as platforms to disseminate health education information and give screenings to Black men, who exhibit poorer health outcomes than any other racial group in America.”
(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program (BBHOP) will launch its Los Angeles Initiative in more than 100 barbershops across southern California on Saturday, Nov. 7.
The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, a nationwide initiative, highlights the need for African American men to adopt healthier lifestyles, and promotes awareness and early detection of diabetes, hypertension and prostate cancer. It was founded by and Charles Drew University Associate Professor Dr. Bill J. Releford, DPM.
“The program grew out of recognizing the barbershop as a centralized gathering place for Black men, and that barbers can link other men to health resources,” said Phyllis Clark, who as the founder of Healthy Heritage Wellness Movement, is working with owners of Inland Empire Black barbershops to provide this outreach effort. “The program will use these barbershops as platforms to disseminate health education information and give screenings to Black men, who exhibit poorer health outcomes than any other racial group in America.”
Working directly in participating barbershops, a team of nurses, physicians and volunteers provide health information, diabetes and hypertension screenings and referrals to no or low-cost primary care providers. The southern California outreach efforts beginning Saturday will also include Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program’s new initiative, “PEP Talk,” the Prostate Education Project, designed to help African American men discuss the subject of prostate cancer.
To learn more about the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, visit http://www.blackbarbershop.org
Mai Brooks, who runs Jump Rope Boot Camp in Inglewood as part of her family’s business, demonstrates proper jump roping technique in a workshop at the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference.
The Rev. Bronica Martindale leads Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference participants in a dance routine that simulates planting, sowing and harvesting healthy fruits and vegetables.
Dr. Romeo Brooks, one of the main speakers for the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, tells guests more about how to eat well at the booth for Roots Nutrition, a business he and wife Mai own in Inglewood.
Phyllis Clark, dressed in a svelte evening gown to show how the principles of healthy living have helped her, welcomes guests to the Fifth Annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference.
(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) A conference jam-packed with advice for staying healthy took place Saturday, Aug. 1 at California Baptist University.
The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference especially targeted African-Americans, but the advice presented works for all races. It is, first of all, to avoid stressing out about things. Secondarily, it is to make healthy lifestyle choices – that means eating well, exercising and avoiding tobacco.
Keynote speaker Dr. Ruth Tanyi, a certified preventive health care specialist in Loma Linda, shared the effects of stress on one’s body.
“Stress is the number one killer,” she said. “The human body works best when there is a balance in the mind, body and spirit.”
Dr. Tanyi defines stress as what an individual perceives as above or beyond their ability to cope. She also defines two types of stress – acute stress lasting from a moment to no more than two weeks, and chronic stress, which lasts more than two weeks.
Stress doesn’t have to reach chronic stages, she says.
“Depending on what we choose to believe, we can override our emotions,” she said. “We can have control over our heart rate and our blood pressure.”
For instance, if someone receives a traffic ticket, it will most likely be stressful at the time, she said. But, a person can then continue to worry about it, or say “It’s OK, I can go to traffic school, this will all work out.”
Physiologically, what often happens in an acutely stressful incidence such as the traffic ticket is an adrenalin rush, which in turn causes a person’s heart rate and respiration to increase. The adrenalin also sends a signal to one’s pituitary gland, which in turn sends a signal throughout the body to release hormones, which causes an adverse reaction to the body’s immune system.
“If you choose to get over it, the adrenalin will go away,” she said. “But if you keep worrying, your immune system is now suppressed. The immune system is supposed to ward off disease, but if it is suppressed, we become susceptible to all kinds of chronic diseases. The list is endless.”
Besides worrying, along with feelings of anger or jealousy, other causes of chronic stress are poor diets, physical inactivity and lack of sleep. Illnesses it can lead to include depression, insomnia, chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis.
Dr. Tanyi also shared some tips for managing stress, such as taking control of situations, obtaining knowledge about situations and focusing on your strengths, rather than weaknesses. She also advocates creating “good stress” through positive thoughts and enjoyable activities.
Another important way of reducing stress, according to Dr. Tanyi, is to forgive people who have offended you.
“A lack of forgiveness causes you stress, which can cause cancer, diabetes and heart disease,” she said. “It’s about you. The people who have hurt you have moved on, they aren’t there anymore. So for you to move on, you have to forgive.”
The second speaker, Dr. Romeo Brooks, focused on reducing stress through a positive attitude. He calls this “languaging your life.”
Dr. Brooks began his presentation by asking the audience to stand up, jump up and down and wave their arms around. He then noted that the participants had willed their body into this exercise, and likewise could will their bodies into many other healthy lifestyle choices.
“The words we speak are symbolic of how we think and feel,” he said. “Life is ours to experience as we say it is.”
Dr. Brooks used the analogy of a hurdler racing around a track.
“He doesn’t say ‘who put this hurdle in my way, I’m trying to accomplish something. He jumps over it. We all have adversities we have to jump over. Life without conflict is impossible, but if you say conflict is here to make you a better person, it will.
Dr. Brooks also encourages people to live life with purpose and goals.
“You have to say this is what I want, this is where I am going, this is what I am going to do to get there,” he said. “When you live your life without a purpose, it’s listless. It’s lifeless. We need life in our body. We don’t need toxins and chemotherapy. You cannot poison the body into health. You have to deliberately start changing your language.”
In the afternoon sessions of the conference, participants were able to choose two of four workshops to attend. These included exercise demonstrations and sessions on financial health, nutrition and preventing child abuse/teen violence.
A panel of fitness experts hosted the workshop on exercise. They were:
• The Rev. Bronica Martindale of San Bernardino, who leads children’s ministries and a health ministry at The Masters’ Plan Nazarene Church. She guided the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference participants through an interpretive dance that symbolized gathering, sowing and harvesting healthy fruits and vegetables.
• Breanne Houston, owner of St
roller Strides in Riverside. With the help of several female audience volunteers ranging from a college student to grandmothers, she demonstrated a cardio workout that she normally offers to pregnant and new mothers who perform these exercises while pushing pregnancy weight or baby jogging strollers through three Riverside-area parks.
• Mai Brooks (wife of Dr. Romeo Brooks), who runs the Extreme Jump Rope Boot Camp as part of the couple’s business, Roots Nutrition in Inglewood. With the help of male and female audience volunteers, she demonstrated how jumping rope is one of the best exercises for the cardiovascular system.
The other speakers were Gwendolyn Moore, a registered dietician and nutrition consultant in Riverside (nutrition); Deborah Monroe-Heaps of the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center (child abuse/teen violence prevention) and Denice A. Young, CPA and owner of Brighter DAY Enterprises in Torrance (financial health.)
The Healthy Heritage Movement (www.healthyheritagemovement.com) mission is to eliminate health disparities in the Black community by providing cultural relevant resources, peer navigation, and advocacy training,” said conference founder and organizer Phyllis Clark. This was the fifth year she put on this conference.
Besides hearing the speakers and workshops, participants were able to obtain information from local health care providers, and receive basic health screenings and referrals for other free or low-cost preventive health care services.
Sponsors include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), The Purpose Center International Ministries, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott Vascular, and Dameron Communications.
For more information about sponsoring or participating in the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference in 2010, go to www.healthyheritagemovement.com or email Phyllis Clark at hhwcmovement@yahoo.com, or call her at (951) 288-4375.
Dr. Gerald T. Hightower, senior pastor of Purpose Center International Ministries in Perris, is passionate about cancer prevention. He is shown here emceeing the 2008 Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, a job he will have again when the conference returns to California Baptist University on Aug. 1. This year, Purpose Center International Ministries is also sponsoring a “Praise Party Bus” to take Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference participants to the Chino Relay for Life, where they can enroll in a long-term study conducted by the American Cancer Society, to find ways of preventing cancer. Photo by Chris Sloan
(CHINO Calif.) Immediately following the fifth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference in Riverside, participants can join sponsor Purpose Center International Ministries on their next step to good health.
After the conference ends, Purpose Center International Ministries will provide round trip transportation by the Praise Party Bus to the Chino Relay for Life at Ayala Park, 14201 Central Ave. Chino. At this event, conference participants have an opportunity to enroll in the American Cancer Society’s CPS-3 (Cancer Prevention Study #3).
To reserve a seat on the Praise Party Bus, call (951) 300-1223. Music and free refreshments will be provided.
The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, which helps African-Americans and others develop strategies for healthier living, takes place at California Baptist University, from 8 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. The bus leaves the California Baptist University parking lot for Chino at 5 p.m. and returns to Riverside at approximately 8 p.m.
For Dr. Gerald T. Hightower, senior pastor of Purpose Center International Ministries, preventing cancer is personal. His mom is a cancer survivor.
“My mom had a very serious bout with cancer two years ago, and required a mastectomy,” he said. “Fortunately, after her mastectomy and a lot of prayer, she recovered and is healed! Cancer prevention is my passion now, and that’s why I want to encourage all the pastors to have their congregations come and participate in the CPS -3 Enrollment Event at the Chino Relay for Life.”
“CPS-3 is a research study to help bring about a cancer-free tomorrow,” said Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference founder and organizer Phyllis Clark. “The American Cancer Society needs more African-Americans to participate. The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference and Purpose Center International Ministries, both of which serve primarily African-Americans, are supporting by recruiting participants and providing transportation.”
Since otherwise willing participants can enroll immediately following the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, by providing transportation, it takes away the excuses conference participants might have of not having transportation outside the area served by Riverside County’s bus service, or not wanting to drive their own cars to and from a city more than 20 miles away.
“The Chino Relay for Life is the only opportunity in our area for people to enroll in this study. It is really important for African-Americans to enroll, so I don’t want them to use transportation as an excuse,” Clark said. “If African-Americans cannot participate, we cannot study the links between their lifestyle and cancer. I encourage all the community leaders and pastors to reach out and challenge African-Americans to join in this study and save lives.”
For CPS-3, the American Cancer Society seeks 500,000 adults from the United States and Puerto Rico. They should be between 30 and 65 years old, and have never been diagnosed with cancer. They also must be willing to make a long-term commitment, as participation requires follow-up studies every few years for the next 10 to 20 years.
At the Chino Relay for Life, they will read and sign a consent form, complete a brief written survey, provide a waist measurement and a small blood sample drawn by a certified phlebotomist. In about four weeks, they will receive an in-depth survey in the mail. Upon completion and return of this survey, Clark said, they are officially enrolled in the CPS-3 study, and should expect to receive more in-depth surveys over the years.
The American Cancer Society has conducted two previous cancer prevention studies, the first in 1950.
“These studies have played a major role in cancer prevention and legislation since then,” Clark best e cig said. “The first study showed the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. This prompted the U.S. Surgeon General’s warning on cigarette package. These studies also showed a link between obesity and cancer, which has helped us develop prevention strategies.”
Relays for Life are events the American Cancer Society holds throughout the nation to raise money for cancer research. Teams of eight to 15 members participate by raising a minimum of $10 per team member in donations, then run or walk laps on a track throughout the 24-hour duration of the Relay for Life event.
While the American Cancer Society holds relays in hundreds of other cities throughout each year, only a few of them include an opportunity to enroll in the CPS-3 study. The only other opportunity to register in the Inland Empire was at a relay that took place in April in Yucca Valley.
For more information about the CPS-3 study, visit www.cancer.org/cps3 or call (888) 604-5888.
Besides speakers, workshops and Praise Party Bus transportation to Chino Relay for Life, participants in the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference will be able to obtain information from local health care providers, and receive basic health screenings and referrals for other free or low-cost preventive health care services.
The 2009 conference is limited to 200 people, so advance registration is necessary. For more information or make a reservation to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 288-4375 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com
Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Purpose Center International Ministries, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott Vascular, and Dameron Communications.
In 2008, the keynote speaker for the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, Nikia Hammonds-Blakely, then 29, told her story of surviving breast cancer as a teenager. During the 2009 conference, taking place Aug. 1 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at California Baptist University in Riverside, low-income, uninsured women over 40 can receive free mammograms, even if they do not attend the conference itself.Photo by Chris Sloan
(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) Women 40 years of age and older, who are low income and have no medical coverage, can obtain free mammograms on Saturday, Aug. 1.
The Southern California Witness Project has arranged to provide mammogram screening in a specially equipped mobile clinic at the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference at California Baptist University, 8432 Magnolia Ave. in Riverside.
“Many women who are over 40 and uninsured are not getting mammogram screening,” said Edith Nevins, Southern California Witness Project program coordinator. “We press on to educate and offer this program. Our motto is breast cancer is not a death sentence.”
Screening is also available for women younger than 40 who already have a history of breast cancer, but lack resources to pay for medical care.
To avoid long lines, women should register in advance by calling The Witness Project, (951) 485-9334. Ask for Helen, Mrs. Nevins or Deborah. Spanish speakers should ask for Susanna List, the program coordinator for Esperanza Y Vida.
Nevins, who is a retired nurse, and a team of volunteers take information to wherever attentive groups of women may be gathered. Their organization is part of the Quinn Community Outreach Corp in Moreno Valley, which also sponsors a similar Spanish-language program called Esperanza Y Vida.
“We have had community presentations in English and Spanish, at churches and schools, wherever we could speak to more than five people,” Nevins said. “We work to educate women seven days a week, in the evenings and on weekends. We attend health fairs, wherever we can go.”
Although the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference itself is geared primarily to African-Americans, women of all ethnicities are encouraged to register for the mammogram screenings. It is not necessary to attend the conference to receive a mammogram screening.
Southern California Witness Project especially targets African-Americans, and Esperanza Y Vida targets all Latinas. Studies have found these two ethnic groups are 70 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than Caucasians.
One reason is because a type of tumor known as triple negative is much more prevalent among Blacks and Hispanic than among white women, according to information from the American Cancer Society.
In fact, 39 percent of Black women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer before reaching menopause have this type of tumor, which is harder to cure than other forms of breast cancer. In the general population, only 14 percent of all breast cancer patients have this type of tumor. New medications have been developed this year that show promise to increase survival rates for women with this type of cancer, but as with all forms of breast cancer, early detection is crucial.
Clark encourages Black women who qualify for the free mammograms to register for both events. She also noted that since many African-American women have health insurance and do not meet the guidelines for “low income,” they may prefer to make arrangements with their own physicians to schedule a mammogram.
However, low-income Spanish-speaking women are often not insured, so this may be an ideal opportunity for them to have this potentially life-saving screening.
Another reason for Spanish-speaking women to participate, Nevins said, is they will not face a language barrier at this screening. The Esperanza Y Vida program will provide bilingual women to assist with the exam, tell their own stories of breast cancer survival and provide Spanish-language information about breast self-exams.
Quinn Community Outreach Corporation is an affiliate ministry of Quinn African Methodist Episcopal Church in Moreno Valley. The Riverside Community Health Foundation, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure of the Inland Empire and the Avon Foundation, also sponsor the Witness Project and Esperanza Y Vida.
The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, designed to help African-Americans and others develop strategies for healthier living, takes place at California Baptist University, from 8 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. Participants in the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference will be able to obtain information from local health care providers, and receive basic health screenings and referrals for other free or low-cost preventive health care services.
The 2009 conference is limited to 200 people, so advance registration is necessary. For more information or make a reservation to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 288-4375 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com
Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), The Purpose Center, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott, and Dameron Communications.
Preventive Care specialist, Dr. Ruth Tanyi, is the keynote speaker for the fifth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, Aug. 1 at California Baptist University in Riverside.
(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) Preventing disease through positive attitude and healthy living is the focus of the fifth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference August 1 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at California Baptist University in Riverside.
“The Healthy Heritage Movement (www.healthyheritagemovement.com) mission is to eliminate health disparities in the Black community by providing cultural relevant resources, peer navigation, and advocacy training,” said conference founder and organizer Phyllis Clark. “Now that we have a federal administration that supports wellness, we as a community must be proactive and diligent about accessing the prevention resources and opportunities that will be available.
Keynote speaker is Dr. Ruth Tanyi, who produces a weekly television show “Lifestyle and Preventive Care,” and is a lifestyle consultant for people who wish to learn skills to prevent disease and stay healthy.
“I will address the role of preventive care, positive emotions, nutrition and overall lifestyle in preventing and maintaining diseases,” she said.
“Dr. Ruth is a lifestyle and preventive care expert,” Clark said. “She will focus on how to manage stress so it does not affect our organs negatively, so it causes disease. Disease means dis-ease, because stress puts your body into dis-ease.
According to Clark, Dr, Tanyi’s presentation illustrates the physiological effects of stress, explaining how stress leads to not sleeping or eating right, and how that leads to disease.”
Dr. Tanyi lives in Loma Linda, where she is a doctoral program graduate of the Loma Linda University School of Public Health, with a specialization in preventive health care. She has Master’s and bachelor’s degrees in nursing, as well as a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
She developed an interest in health care and medical journalism while working as a health care aide while studying journalism in college.
Tanyi is also a certified family nurse practitioner, a certified health and fitness specialist and a certified nutrition specialist. She has written scientific papers for internationally known academic and medical journals, such as Journal of Advanced Nursing and American Journal of Nephrology Nursing.
Her television show airs is broadcast through Loma Linda Broadcast Network (www.llbn.tv), which is available on the internet and through Dish Network.
The other speakers also will emphasize ways a healthy lifestyle can prevent the onset of disease, Clark said.
The featured speaker Dr. Romeo Brooks, PhD., will present “Transform Your Language, Transform Your Life,” which focuses on the impact of the emotional language we have internalized. He will illustrate how thoughts affect our health.
Dr. Brooks owns Roots Nutrition and is a holistic healing practitioner. He believes one of the best places to attain and sustain good health is in churches, and has helped many churches create health ministries.
The other speakers will lead workshops during the conference.
• Marcy Duncan of the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center will present a child abuse prevention workshop
• Denise Young of Brighter DAY Enterprises will present a financial health workshop. Young is a certified public accountant and a licensed California real estate broker.
• Gwendolyn Moore, a registered dietician who owns Nutrition by Gwen, will present a nutrition workshop. She offers consultation on nutrition, fitness and healthy attitudes.
• The Rev. Bronica Martindale, who is also a community health leader with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Breanna Houston of Stroller Strides and Mai Brooks of Roots Nutrition’s Jump Rope Boot Camp. form a fitness panel, to present information and demonstrations on the topic of fitness.
The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, founded in 2005 by Phyllis Clark, addresses health care issues, especially those affecting African-Americans. However, the conference will present relevant information for all ethnicities.
The 2009 conference Master of Ceremony is Pastor Gerald T. Hightower, and focuses on preventive health care, in keeping with President Barack Obama’s goal for the national health care system.
“President Obama’s plan emphasizes that wellness is a shared responsibility,” Clark said. “It will empower Americans by providing resources and making prevention services accessible to all, and we are trying to do that in the Inland Empire”
Besides the keynote speaker and workshops, participants will be able to obtain information from local health care providers, and receive basic health screenings and referrals for other free or low-cost preventive health care services.
The 2009 conference is limited to 200 people, so advance registration is necessary. For more information or make a reservation to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 288-4375 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com
Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), The Purpose Center, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott, and Dameron Communications.
Phyllis Clark announces the Fifth Annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference will be held Aug. 1 at California Baptist University. Chris Sloan photo.
(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) The fifth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference (www.healthyheritagemovement.com) has set the date of the 2009 conference for August 1 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at California Baptist University in Riverside.
“This year we will focus on prevention,” said Phyllis Clark, founder and president of the Healthy Heritage Movement. “We now have a sick care system, not a health care system. If something’s wrong, we patch it up. We don’t address the problems before they start, which is so much more effective.”
Clark added that prevention is especially key this year because President Barack Obama is making healthcare reform a priority. His comprehensive healthcare plan will modernize the system by investing in prevention initiatives.
“I am thrilled to know that the President’s plan is promoting health and wellness,” she said. “His plan emphasize that wellness is a shared responsibility and will empower Americans by providing resources and making prevention services accessible to all.”
As a member of African-American Health Initiative team and surviving daughter of a mother lost to colon cancer, Clark committed herself to help Black people live longer. The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference will teach the community how to find the resources and how to take control of their healthcare.
“The Healthy Heritage Movement mission is to eliminate health disparities in the Black community by providing cultural relevant resources, peer navigation, and advocacy training,” Clark said. “Now that we have a federal administration that supports wellness, we as a community must be proactive and diligent about accessing the prevention resources and opportunities that will be available.
The 2009 conference will offer seminars from the nation’s leading healthcare professionals together with free screenings for mammograms, HIV/AIDS, prostate cancer and blood sugar levels, Clark said.
The free Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference is organized by a committee, which includes community members, Inland Agency, the American Cancer Society, the Southern California Witness Project, Dameron Communications and many volunteers.
Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), , The Purpose Center, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott, Novartis, Southern California Edison and Dameron Communications.
For more information or make a reservation to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 288-4375 or e-mail info@healthyheritagemovement.org
Dr. E. M. Abdulmumin (standing at right), one of the speakers at the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference held Saturday, July 26, talks with Leura Valeriano, Health Education Assistant Elida Drachenberg and Clarese Hill at the American Cancer Society’s information booth before the conference began.
Nikia Hammonds-Blakely, keynote speaker for the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference held Saturday, July 26, told of her experience with breast cancer when she was just 16 years old.
(Riverside, Calif.) –Cancer, cardiovascular disease and bad relationships.
These are serious health problems, but they can be avoided. And for those who already face these and other problems affecting their body, mind and spirit, help is available.
That’s the message the organizers of the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference believe more than 350 participants took home with them after the all-day event Saturday, July 26.
“I was humbled and overjoyed by the turnout,” said organizer Phyllis Clark, who created the event four years ago. “Some of these people have come all four years. We truly have a following. I am grateful for them, and for the sponsors. They have consistently believed in the multicultural community that attends this conference.”
To inspire others to take charge of their own health, the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference brought in as its keynote speaker Nikia Hammonds-Blakely, a representative of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The 30-year-old Hammonds-Blakely told about her experience with breast cancer 14 years ago, when she was in high school.
“To say that diagnosis changed my life is an understatement,” Hammonds-Blakely said. “It changed my life forever.”
Like most girls, Hammonds-Blakely didn’t think much beyond boys, clothes, and who she would go with to the junior prom when she was 16 years old. But when both her own self-exam and her doctor’s clinical breast exam revealed a suspicious lump, things changed.
“My doctor said ‘It’s probably nothing,’ but wanted me to have a biopsy just in case,” Hammonds-Blakely said. “When we got the results of the biopsy back, it showed I not only had cancer, but a rare and extremely aggressive type.”
“It was too much to wrap my mind around,” she said. “I went home daily feeling like a monster. I wondered who would ever love me? Would I ever get married? Would I ever have children? And if so, would I be able to nurse them?”
Hammonds-Blakely had a strong Christian faith before she contracted breast cancer, and it was by relying on this faith she got through this most difficult time in her life, she said. Faith was also what motivated her to use the difficulties she had gone through to help others.
“I realized no one ever knows when we will leave this earth,” she said. “Our responsibility while we are here is to manage our life and let it have purpose to help someone else. For as long as I am going to be here, I am going to use my life to the maximum.”
With this newfound motivation, Hammonds-Blakely went from an average student to fifth in her graduating class in high school. She has now obtained a Master’s Degree in marketing, and is working on her Ph.D. in organizational management.
This young woman also is a member of the Susan G. Komen’s Young Woman’s Advisory Council, a position that gives her numerous opportunities to let women know that breast cancer can happen at a young age. It also gave her the opportunity to travel to Nigeria, where she and her mother were able to bless many teen-age girls who had recently survived breast cancer with 750 prosthetic bras, and encouragement from a “sister” who had been there.
“That was one of the most profound experiences of my life,” she said.
Another speaker for the event was Dr. E.M. Abdulmumin, professor, youth advocate, and karate instructor. He urged the largely African-American audience to consider the African lifestyle as one that is healthier and more balanced than that of Americans, and to make changes
“Our parents fought hard to get us out of slavery,” he said. “Now we have a new kind of slavery. As our children have moved away from their values, and their culture, they have become slaves to peer pressure.”
In the afternoon, a panel of experts gave their advice for a healthier lifestyle. These included Dr. Steven Barag, who presented information about preventing and curing hypertension and other cardiovascular disease; Dr. David Williams, who gave information about his specialty, preventative medicine and how it can help people stay healthy; marriage and family counselor Tiombe Preston, who taught 12 Commandments for Emotional Health; author and college professor Charles Fossett, who offered his sage advice on relationships and Pastor Gerald Hightower of Purpose Center International, who provided the audience a spiritual perspective on finding one’s purpose in life.
The free Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference was organized by a committee which includes staff members from Riverside County Public Health Department; the American Cancer Society; the Southern California Witness Project, a breast cancer awareness group; Inland Agency; Dameron Communications and many volunteers.
Sponsors for the 2008 Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference included The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhARMA), Southern California Edison, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Dameron Communications, Black Voice News, Brothers and Sisters in Action (BASIA), Abbott Vascular and Novartis.
These sponsorships allow the conference organizers to put the event on at no charge.
For more information about the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 565-4431 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com.
