Photo courtesy of Health People
Health People, a community-based health education nonprofit in the South Bronx, received a $2 million grant from Yield Giving and will use the funds to The plan is to use the technology to open a training institute to educate diabetic patients on diabetes treatment methods. Take care of yourself.
Health People was founded in 1990 and initially aimed to provide support to women with AIDS. Since then, the nonprofit has expanded its programs for men and developed educational programs focused on asthma and diabetes.
“We try to be community-focused,” Norwood said. “We try to build a sense that even when things look really hopeless, you can do something about it.”
These programs are “peer-to-peer”. In other words, Health People identifies local residents who have the disease or have family members who have the disease. These people are then trained and returned to the community to teach based on their experience. Throughout its existence, Health People has trained more than 500 associates as leaders and seen thousands of Bronx residents take the program.
“We consistently see significant behavioral changes after our program,” Norwood said. “Communities can take the lead in their own healing if they are given backup and support.”
Norwood said the $2 million grant will be used to build the training institute, which could expand beyond the South Bronx. The program will train Bronx residents on how to self-manage diabetes and prevent possible amputations and blindness.
This type of peer-to-peer education can play a “routine” role in a Bronx hospital that may lack the staffing to provide consistent educational resources, Norwood said.
Health People hopes to work with training organizations to launch a public health campaign to inform New Yorkers about the potential for blindness in people with diabetes and what steps can be taken to prevent it.
Professor Norwood said of diabetes: “The terrible effects of diabetes can be significantly reduced.” “It’s almost as if you’re allowed to be unwell.”
She hopes that Health People’s efforts will provide education for Broxite and reduce the harmful side effects of diabetes in the years to come.
There is no schedule yet for training institutes or public health campaigns.
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