African Americans living in Western North Carolina have higher rates of preventable diseases, such as Type II Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease, than other racial groups in the area. Asheville Buncombe Institute of Parity Achievement (ABIPA) is actively working to diminish the health disparities that exist in the African American community. The “Celebration of Health: A Conference on Awareness and Prevention” is one of many strategies they’re implementing to achieve their overarching goal. The conference aims to educate and inspire community members to take control of their health, through preventive means and/or practical disease management techniques. Due to unfavorable weather conditions, the conference was rescheduled, which hindered the overall planning process. The rescheduled date, however, was more conducive to our goals of teaching community members effective ways to improve their overall health (such as outdoor gardening lessons). The conference will include other educational breakout sessions, including cooking classes, yoga sessions, and nutrition education courses. The purpose of the service project is to develop a conference manual, detailing the planning strategies that were used; for instance, who was contacted and when, when promotional materials were distributed, and how to effectively budget for a mid-size health conference. The manual will assist ABIPA and its partners to efficiently implement similar health conferences in the future to empower, inspire, and enlighten more community members.
