CENTER FOR CLOSING THE HEALTH GAP IN GREATER CINCINNATI
3120 BURNET AVENUE SUITE 201, CINCINNATI, OH 45229 www.closingthehealthgap.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: ELIMINATE RACIAL AND ETHNIC HEALTH DISPARITIES IN GREATER CINCINNATI THROUGH ADVOCACY, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH.

LEADS EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE HEALTH DISPARITIES THROUGH ADVOCACY, EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH.

CITY OF CINCINNATI GRASSROOTS MOBILIZATION MODEL TO ELIMINATE HEALTH DISPARITIES - CLOSING THE HEALTH GAP RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE CITY OF CINCINNATI FOR OUR GRASSROOTS MOBILIZATION MODEL TO ELIMINATE HEALTH DISPARITIES, WHICH EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE NUTRITION AND INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR BETTER OVERALL HEALTH OUTCOMES. THE MODEL PROMOTES COMMUNITY OUTREACH, AWARENESS, AND EDUCATION TO COMBAT OBESITY THROUGH HEALTHY LIFESTYLES, ADVOCACY, AND POLICY CHANGES. THE CITY'S FUNDING PARTIALLY SUPPORTS CLOSING THE HEALTH GAP'S STAFF, OUR ANNUAL HEALTH EXPO, MT. AUBURN AND WALNUT HILLS DO RIGHT CAMPAIGNS, BLACK WOMEN'S HEALTH MOVEMENT, AND THE WELLNESS SERIES. THE OUTCOMES FOR THIS GRANT INCORPORATE ALL PROGRAMS.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH - CLOSING THE HEALTH GAP SUPPLEMENTS COMMUNITY OUTREACH FROM GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF HEALTH DISPARITIES FACED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS, LATINX, AND APPALACHIANS. COMMUNITY OUTREACH INCORPORATES THE DO RIGHT OBESITY CAMPAIGN, AN INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION IN THE GREATER CINCINNATI REGION. OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACADEMY, HANDS HELPING HANDS CONFERENCE, DO RIGHT KIDS, A WELLNESS SERIES EMPHASIZING DIABETES, STRESS, NUTRITION AND HEALTHY COOKING, MEN'S HEALTH WORKSHOPS, COMMUNITY HEALTH UNIVERSITY, AND THE BLACK WOMEN'S HEALTH MOVEMENT. COVID-19 SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED CLOSING THE HEALTH GAP'S SERVICE DELIVERY, AS ALL IN-PERSON PROGRAMS HAD TO BE CANCELLED DURING THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THE FISCAL YEAR. AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC WE HAD TO SHIFT A MULTITUDE OF OUR PROGRAMS TO AN ONLINE PLATFORM. THIS SUDDEN ONLINE SHIFT IMPEDED HEALTH GAP'S ABILITY TO REACH ALL TARGET METRICS. BARRIERS INCLUDED SOME PARTICIPANTS' LIMITED ACCESS TO INTERNET SERVICES AND MOBILE DEVICES TO STREAM THE VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING. THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACADEMY (CEA) TRAINS RESIDENTS TO BECOME COMMUNITY LEADERS. TRAINING INCLUDES COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, ADVOCACY SKILLS, AND PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY. PARTICIPANTS LEARN TO INFLUENCE, ENGAGE, AND MOBILIZE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THEIR BLOCK, THEIR CHURCH OR ORGANIZATION TO ADDRESS IMPORTANT COMMUNITY ISSUES. THEY ALSO LEARN HOW TO DEVELOP ACTION PLANS TO MAKE CHANGE AND WORK WITH OTHERS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP. CEA HELD 2 CLASSES THIS FISCAL YEAR WITH 55 ATTENDEES. IN THE FALL, OVER 30 PERSONS ATTENDED THE BLACK MEN'S HEALTH WORKSHOP, BLACK MEN BUILD STRONG COMMUNITIES. OVERALL, ATTENDEES INCREASED KNOWLEDGE AND WERE IMPRESSED BY THE EVENT. ALL ATTENDEES INDICATED THEY WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS AND WOULD ATTEND SIMILAR EVENTS. OTHER OUTREACH ACTIVITIES INCLUDED FOCUS GROUPS, NEWSPAPER COLUMNS, ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS, LOCAL AND NATIONAL PRESENTATIONS, COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS, OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, AND COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIPS. CLOSING THE HEALTH GAP ALSO PARTNERED IN MANY COMMUNITY EVENTS TO FURTHER PROMOTE OUR PROGRAMS AND OTHER IMPORTANT HEALTH ISSUES. WE DISTRIBUTED THOUSANDS OF PIECES OF HEALTH LITERATURE AND REACHED 327,747 PEOPLE THROUGH HEALTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS, OUTREACH, AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS. THIS INCLUDED A WIDE RANGE OF DIGITAL MEDIA AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS AND VIRTUAL COMMUNITY HEALTH EVENTS. SOME OF THESE METHODS WERE VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS AND OUR COVID-19 RESOURCE WEBSITE. DO RIGHT WELLNESS SERIES THE DO RIGHT WELLNESS SERIES INCLUDES NUTRITION TRAIN THE TRAINER, HEALTHY STEPS, AND RELAX AND RESTORE. THE CURRICULA'S FOCUS IS AROUND THE KEY THEMES OF EAT RIGHT, MOVE RIGHT, AND LIVE RIGHT. OVER 757 PERSONS ATTENDED THE SESSIONS WITH 361 PERSONS COMPLETING THE SERIES. ADDITIONALLY, WE HIRED 12 MINORITY FACILITATORS TO DELIVER THIS TRAINING. NUTRITION TRAIN THE TRAINER (NTT) TEACHES PARTICIPANTS HOW TO CHOOSE AND PREPARE HEALTHIER FOOD CHOICES AND HOW TO EXPAND THE REACH OF NUTRITION EDUCATION BY TRAINING PARTICIPANTS TO TEACH OTHERS. HEALTHY STEPS BUILDS THE CAPACITY AND CONFIDENCE IN PRE-DIABETIC AND DIABETIC INDIVIDUALS IN MANAGING THEIR CONDITIONS IN ORDER TO LEAD HEALTHIER LIVES. DO RIGHT RELAX AND RESTORE (R&R) EXPLORES HOW STRESS EFFECTS THE MIND, BODY, AND SOUL. PARTICIPANTS LEARN AND PRACTICE HOLISTIC SKILLS TO FREE THEMSELVES FROM UNPRODUCTIVE ANXIETIES AND UNHEALTHY BEHAVIORS SO THAT THEY CAN EXPERIENCE PEACE AND JOY IN DAILY LIFE, RELATIONSHIPS, AND THE COMMUNITY. DO RIGHT KIDS DO RIGHT KIDS IMPROVES THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF DISADVANTAGED, OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE CHILDREN, AND CHILDREN AT RISK FOR OBESITY AND BECOMING OVERWEIGHT. THE PROGRAM EDUCATES CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY EATING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THE INSTRUCTION IS HANDS-ON AND ACTIVITY-BASED. THE PROGRAM HAS THREE COMPONENTS: IN SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL, AND FAMILY NIGHTS. WE IMPLEMENTED DO RIGHT KIDS IN 4 CINCINNATI SCHOOLS AND 2 RECREATION CENTERS FOR 461 STUDENTS. EACH SCHOOL HOSTED FAMILY NIGHTS WITH COOKING AND FITNESS DEMONSTRATIONS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS. FITNESS DEMONSTRATIONS INCLUDED ZUMBA, HIP-HOP DANCE WORKOUTS, AND GROUP FITNESS.

MT. AUBURN & WALNUT HILLS DO RIGHT BLOCK-BY BLOCK CAMPAIGNS DO RIGHT BLOCK-BY-BLOCK BUILDS OFF THE SUCCESS OF OUR DO RIGHT CAMPAIGN, BUT ON A SMALLER BLOCK-BY-BLOCK SCALE. THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY CLOSING THE HEALTH GAP AND THE CITY OF CINCINNATI. THE PROGRAM HELPS FAMILIES EAT BETTER AND EXERCISE MORE TO IMPROVE THEIR OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. THE PROGRAM IS A NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENT-LED, HOUSEHOLD FOCUSED, MULTI WEEK INTERVENTION. THE INTERVENTION IS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE DIET AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND TO INCREASE RESIDENTS' CONFIDENCE TO ASK FOR CHANGES IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL SUPPORT HEALTHY BEHAVIORS. BEHAVIORAL GOALS FOCUS ON INCREASING FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE TO > 5 SERVINGS/DAY, OBTAINING 3 STRUCTURED MEALS DAILY, DECREASING SCREEN TIME (OUTSIDE OF WORK OR SCHOOL) TO < 2 HOURS PER DAY, INCREASING MODERATE-TO-VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO > 1 HOUR PER DAY, AND REDUCING SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGE INTAKE TO ALMOST NONE. THIS FISCAL YEAR 28 HOUSEHOLDS WERE RECRUITED. COVID LIMITED OUR ABILITY TO COMPLETE THE BLOCK-BY-BLOCK RECRUITMENT INITIATIVE, RESULTING IN MOSTLY FIRST QUARTER RECRUITMENTS. LIMITED RECRUITMENT RESULTED IN A REDUCED NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS COMPLETING INTERVENTION PROGRAMMING.

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202101009349300120_public.xml