Programs
Black Women’s Health Coalition
The Black Women’s Health Coalition is about Black women and our health, wellness, and wellbeing. We meet monthly at Corinthian Baptist Church in the lower level at 12:00 pm on the third Saturday of the month. Health, medical, and mental health assessments are given monthly to measure progress and use when meeting with health providers. During our Sister Huddle, we engage in low-impact physical activity, enjoy a healthy lunch, and learn about a health disparity that affects Black women. We provide resources and incentives for participating.
Childcare is available. If you need help with transportation, email us at info@bw4hl.org
Come early, between 10:00 am and Noon, to receive Free food provided by the DMARC Mobile Food Pantry.
The Black Women’s Health Coalition is, powered by Black Women 4 Healthy Living and is made possible by grants from United Way, IDPH, Microsoft, and funds from AmeriGroup. The Coalition also has a host of health and community partners including:
- Alzheimer's Association
- American Red Cross
- AmeriGroup
- Des Moines University
- Drake University
- Grand View University
- Humana
- IDPH
- John Stoddard
- Mercy One
- Microsoft
- Unity Point
- United Way
Wellness Wednesdays
On Wednesdays, we share wellness or wellbeing topics unique to Black women and families on our Facebook page and our I Am My Sista’s Keeper and BW4HL Members Only Facebook groups.
Blood Drives
We have a Board member on the Red Cross regional board; in this capacity, we can help bridge the gap between the Black Community and blood donation. This relationship empowers us to hold several blood drives to encourage diversity among Blood donors. Our focus is to educate the Black community on becoming blood donors and address the Sickle Cell disease in our community. Sickle Cell affects 75% of African Americans, and blood from Black donors adequately treats the Sickle Cell disease.
Black Women Health Month
April is Black Women’s Health Month. We use this month to bring awareness to health disparities in Black women.
Group Walks
We host group walks between May and September. We post a walking schedule in our I Am My Sista’s Keeper and BW4HL Members Only Facebook groups. If you don’t have Facebook and would like our walking schedule, email us at info@bw4hl.org.
Juneteenth Tea
Our annual Juneteenth Tea is in June, and we partner with Iowa Juneteenth. We invite women from the community to celebrate freedom and address the wellbeing of Black women.
Women’s Retreat
Our annual Women’s Retreat is in September at Hidden Acres Christian Center, A place set apart for you. This retreat is a Hidden Acres event that we take a group of women to each year. It is a weekend away for coffee, Jesus, and fun.
Pretty in Pink Walk
Our annual Breast Cancer Awareness walk is in October. We focus on the effects of breast cancer in Black women. We invite Dr. Susan Beck, who specializes in General Surgery at MercyOne Katzmann Breast Center, to educate us on breast cancer and how it affects Black women. We invite a local Black woman survivor to inform us and share her story, followed by a group walk of solidarity.