Dear Community Member,

In November 2020, I began my role as the chief executive officer of the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute. I am honored to work with the GRAAHI team, board and community. (Click here to read my full bio on our website.)
 
As we’re all aware, 2020 has been an unprecedented year of pain and adjustment as we have lost almost 300,000 people to COVID. Noble efforts to mitigate the spread have created economic and educational impacts that will take much time to undo. The Black and Latinx communities have been especially hard hit, experiencing infection and death 1.5 times more than whites.
 
These startling statistics are not new to us. Our Health Equity Index has informed us that health disparities are improving, but not keeping pace with health advancements overall. For example, In Kent county today, research shows that African Americans have a 50% higher mortality rate of heart disease and black babies have a 50% higher mortality rate than their white counterparts.

The physical, mental and economic impact of COVID has devastated millions of people in our nation and has disproportionately harmed the African American community and other vulnerable populations. More than ever, we must be dedicated in our service, advocacy and support. I am excited about this new role and take this charge very seriously. 

With your support, we can continue and expand our mission of CARE for our community. Please give what you can and consider making it a monthly gift to provide foundational and operational support throughout the year.
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Thank you for taking the time to read through this appeal. This is a pivotal time for our nation, and for our organization. As we come together in unity, I see great promise for transformative and sustainable growth, but it will take work and we are ready. We are honored to have you join us on this journey.

Be well,
Vanessa Greene
Chief Executive Officer
In 2020, GRAAHI created more direct outreach to our at-risk community and continued our work in changing the long-term trends of health disparity.
  • We created an online mental health series to help destigmatize mental health issues during COVID, giving people direct dialogue with therapists of color and providing resources for more care.
  • Early in the pandemic our team handed out thousands of masks and provided COVID19 mitigation best practices, in both English and Spanish.
  • We partnered with health care providers and community leaders on panels and forums about the impact of COVID and the importance of practicing safe behaviors for self protection and protection of loved ones.
  • We created a resources page on our website and in social media to deliver trusted health information to our community.
  • We expanded our Strong Fathers program to be more inclusive and more engaged, including Spanish language speakers, interactive speaker series, and more online connection tools.
  • Our advocacy team surveyed the community to determine the most important needs to be addressed in our work.
  • We conducted racial equity training for several colleges and universities in West MI, focused on creating a pipeline of African American and Latinx healthcare practitioners in Kent County.
This is where we need YOU.
Our organization suffered tremendous economic impact from the pandemic, forcing us to cancel our two most effective fundraising events.
Our goals for 2021 are loftier than ever, because we recognize the need is large and immediate. We have formed an advisory council to support the efforts of GRAAHI in our mission of CARE: Community engagement, Advocacy, Research and Education. In 2021, we will:
COMMUNITY
  • Collaborate with our partners to provide extensive community engagement via panels, forums, videos, and social media blasts to increase awareness and trust around the COVID vaccine to make sure communities of color are not left behind.
  • Establish a youth wellness program to address increased depression and suicide among African American teens, which will include parent/guardian participation. 
  • Develop an elderly care program to assist our aging population with their health care needs and resources. 
  • Research shows that AIDS is increasing in Kent county, particularly among African American men, therefore we will develop awareness campaigns, services and resources to combat this growing concern. 
  • We will expand our diabetes, heart disease, real women real change and fatherhood programs to have greater impact and healthier outcomes. 
ADVOCACY
  • We will strengthen our relationship with healthcare providers and government officials at the local, state and national level to advocate for equitable resources. 
  • Sponsor advocacy and health equity campaigns to bring more awareness about social determinants of health and resources needed to improve these conditions and outcomes.
  • Be an advocacy support and resource to the community.
RESEARCH
  • We will conduct surveys and focus groups to gain a better understanding of the physical, psychological and emotional toll on the community as a result of COVID.
  • Use data to build collaborative partnerships to proactively respond to these concerns and needs. 
  • Update the Health Equity Index to help identify health disparities in our community and inform health providers and government officials to instigate change.
EDUCATION
  • We will collaborate with educators, researchers and public policy experts to develop a health education and equity curriculum and resource program with a regular cadence of education series throughout the year. 
  • Strengthen the Pathways to Education program in partnership with health care systems, local schools, colleges and universities to develop an educational pipeline for African American and Latinx students to become healthcare practitioners.
Join us on December 17th for a Facebook LIVE roundtable discussion aimed at protecting our community as COVID-19 surges again in West Michigan. The discussion will cover the following topics and allow for viewer Q&A:
  • Economic Toll on Communities of Color
  • Clinical Trials 
  • Vaccine Information
Vanessa Greene in Corp! Magazine.
Recently Corp! Magazine interviewed Vanessa for their diversity issue. Learn more about our new leader and how her early experiences have shaped her passion for equity and inclusion.
As we wrap up this extraordinary year, we want to invite you to have a stronger connection with GRAAHI. Here are 10 ways you can make a difference. Thank you!