The Friends of Collier are celebrating the 15th year as a volunteer non-profit organization. Established in November 2004, our goals were to work on a plan to revitalize some of the park amenities and to implement   a sustainable health and wellness program.       

 

     "Women Leading the Way for a Healthy Community"    Creating a Community Model of Health though                                                Physical Activity and Good Nutrition in the ​Adamsville Community                                          

 

United Way of Greater Atlanta and Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) Center of Excellence on Health Disparities awarded grant funding for the health initiative.  Morehouse School of Medicine was the primary partner and provided the faculty for the quarterly training in risk reduction from metabolic syndrome components, they provided some health screenings and assisted in the evaluation of the program. 

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The Friends of Collier participated in various health promotion activities with MSM such as the mini-medical school, homeland security programs and Community Capacity Building Work Group and MSM staff stated they were happy to support us in our endeavor. 

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The project focus was on increasing physical activity and improving nutrition to address the cluster of cardiovascular risk factors that make up the metabolic syndrome. Defined by the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute as the presence of one or more of these components.

1) elevated waist circumference  2) elevated triglycerides  3) reduced HDL

4) elevated blood pressure  5) elevated fasting glucose 

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African American have the highest coronary heart disease of any ethnic group in the country.  African American women and Hispanic/Latino women have the highest prevalence of metabolic syndrome. This increased prevalence is mainly due to disproportionate occurrence of  elevated blood pressure, obesity and diabetes in African American women and in Hispanics/Latinos, a high prevalence of obesity and diabetes.

The management of the metabolic syndrome consists of modification or reversal of the root causes and/or direct therapy - or weight reduction and increased physical activity (Hall, Clark,  Wenger, et al. 2003)

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Women are traditionally the persons in the family who encourage doctors' visits and health screenings for their children, their spouse, and their parents.  They are often the ones, who shop for and prepare the meals for their families.  As the essential link to health for their families, it is incumbent upon these women to remain healthy themselves and to teach by example the importance of diet and exercise in health maintenance.

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Community based health promotion is more successful when the community is fully engaged and more specifically when the community initiates the program.

 

Upon completion of the Morehouse School of Medicine community outreach health advocate training, the Friends of Collier - Women Leading the Way for a Healthy Community health and wellness seminars were held at Collier Heights Park Recreation Center, 3691 Collier Dr. NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30331. 

 

The program focus was to inform participants on the following health topics, diabetes, obesity, hypertension and heart disease. Our awareness of the relationship of the lack of exercise to chronic diseases, the Learn, Lunch & Live Seminars were held  once a week, two hours per session for 7 weeks, itinerary.

1) exercise      2) healthy lunch     3) health information.

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Successful program outcomes include increase in knowledge ie, Know your Numbers, health literacy, patient-doctor communications, all  with the underlying theme of increasing the capacity to practice good nutrition and increase physical activity to improve health. The program focus was on the Social Learning Theory to assess behavior change in the program participants.

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  Collier Life Trail Adult Outdoor Fitness Stations Qty. 10 

The park received national recognition from WSB-TV, CNN, AJC

for the 1st Life Trail stations in a City of Atlanta and State of Georgia park.