UM Launches New Series of Health Workshops in Overtown
More than 80 people, including staff, turned out on the evening of May 24 to help the UM Community Wellness Coalition kick off its new series of “What’s Up Doc?” workshops at Jefferson Reaves, Sr. Health Center in Overtown.
The monthly workshops are designed to address the range of health issues that Overtown residents have identified as concerns, including cancer, diabetes, and HIV. They started four years ago as a small partnership between Overtown resident and UM alum Emanuel Washington, of the Overtown Community Optimist Club, and Sonjia Kenya, Ed.D., M.S., M.A., research assistant professor of family medicine and community health, and director of community health programs at the Jay Weiss Center for Social Medicine and Health Equity. The program has grown into a widely attended open forum with Miller School faculty, staff, and student volunteers.
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Southern Florida sponsored last month’s kickoff, and Jamal Jones and Davina Tolbert, both M.P.H. students, organized the workshop with help from the Optimist Club and Jefferson Reaves, Sr. Health Center.
UM clinician Michelle Sapp, D.N.P., discussed multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow, and nutritionist Rachel Freeman, executive director of Jefferson Reaves, Sr. Health Center, made an interactive presentation about nutrition for healthy living. Participants received a list of foods that promote the immune system, and are beneficial for people living with myeloma or other forms of cancer.
Jones and Tolbert ensured that every attendee also enjoyed a delicious dinner, kept the presentations on schedule, and rounded out the evening by hosting a fun Jeopardy-style health game. Gift cards donated by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society were raffled off and residents left with goodie bags filled with oranges and grapefruit.
The date of the June “What’s Up Doc?” session has not been finalized, but is expected to focus on HIV/AIDS, a particularly relevant topic in Overtown, which has one of the highest rates of new HIV infections. To learn more or volunteer, please contact Jamal Jones at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 305-243-8893.
