Free fitness, cooking and wellness classes offered in partnership with 12 NYC nonprofits
NEW YORK, NY (March 17, 2014) — EmblemHealth kicks off the second year of its ‘Live Healthy’ program, which helps local residents take charge of their health and wellness by offering free fitness classes, cooking demonstrations, and health education. This year the program continues in Central Brooklyn/ Bedford-Stuyvesant and Manhattan Chinatown and expands to Flatbush, Brooklyn, Jackson Heights, Queens, and Washington Heights/Inwood in Upper Manhattan.
The "Live Healthy" program helps residents take small, manageable steps towards living a healthier life through free health and wellness classes in their neighborhoods. The program is a collaboration between EmblemHealth and a coalition of seven nonprofit partners, including CAMBA, the Haitian-American Community Coalition, the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), Queens Community House, the Coalition for Chinese American Children and Families (CACF), the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), University Settlement, and five other health-focused nonprofits from around the city.
“Many people who want to get healthy are challenged to find affordable exercise classes in their neighborhood and are looking for support to develop and maintain good lifestyle habits,” said David Flemister, Director, Brand Strategy and Community Marketing at EmblemHealth. “This program is about helping people take small steps to stay healthy, get well and live better.”
Nonprofits in these under-resourced neighborhoods are partnering with local schools, churches, and community centers that have generously agreed to open their doors to the community when their spaces are not otherwise in use. As a result, many residents are turning to these “health hubs” for health and wellness classes that are accessible and free of charge.
“Your health should not be determined by the zip code where you reside, yet there are huge health disparities that are based on the communities in which people live," said Marjorie Momplaisir-Ellis, Senior Program Director at GBHC/CAMBA. "GBHC is partnering with EmblemHealth and CAMBA to provide free fitness classes in low-income communities where people have fewer options for a healthy lifestyle. We hope this collaboration will help ignite people's drive to live healthier lives by providing them access to affordable activities and more opportunities in their neighborhoods."
Classes begin March 17, 2014 and are free to the community. For a full 2014 class schedule, visit www.emblemhealthlivehealthy.com.
About EmblemHealth
EmblemHealth, Inc. provides quality health care coverage and administrative services to approximately 3.4 million people. Groups and individuals can choose from a variety of PPO, EPO and HMO plans, as well as coverage for prescription drugs and dental and vision care. EmblemHealth offers a choice of networks, including quality doctors and other health care professionals throughout the region, leading acute care hospitals across the tristate area, and physicians and hospitals across all 50 states. For more information, visit www.emblemhealth.com. To connect with EmblemHealth via Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/EmblemHealth.
About GBHC/CAMBA
Greater Brooklyn Health Coalition (GBHC) is a membership organization of nearly 140 agencies representing community-based organizations, hospitals, health insurance companies, educational institutions, disease associations, and local government departments. Formed in 1997 as a Jewish Community Relations Council project, GBHC's mission is to improve access to healthcare, increase prevention, and to effectively decrease the health disparities that presently exist in Brooklyn’s culturally diverse communities. For more information, visit www.brooklynhealth.org.
About Queens Community House (QCH)
Queens Community House is a private, non-sectarian, non-profit agency that has served the neighborhoods of Queens for almost 40 years. Our programs and services currently reach approximately 25,000 children, teens, adults, and older adults a year. QCH’s 23 sites serve as centers for community gathering, organizing, and social service activity, while working to promote inter-generational and cross-cultural cooperation and exchange. For more information, please contact Ada Ospina at 718-592-5757x241 or visit www.queenscommunityhouse.org.
About The Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC)
The Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) is a community-based, nonprofit organization that serves Washington Heights and Inwood, in upper Manhattan. The NMIC works to stabilize the community and help residents build a better life by preserving affordable housing through legal services, community organizing, and building weatherization; by promoting economic self-sufficiency through adult education and workforce development; and by stabilizing families through social services, health education, and domestic violence intervention.
About University Settlement
The University Settlement launched an innovative movement 125 years ago that changed New York City and the country by establishing the idea that immigrants and low-income families deserve basic services like quality education, decent housing, access to open space for exercise and health, and support for the aging. The University Settlement seeks to strengthen communities with a diverse, multilingual staff that offers culturally sensitive services in a wide range of languages including Spanish, French, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
About the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF)
The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) is the nation's only pan-Asian children's advocacy organization and aims to improve the health and well-being of Asian Pacific American children and families in New York City. Founded in 1986, CACF advocates for improved policies, funding, and services for children and families of East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander backgrounds. For more information, visit cacf.org.
About Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC)
The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) was founded in 1965 as a grassroots community-based organization in response to the tremendous influx of Chinese immigrants and was the first social service agency to serve Chinese-Americans in New York. Since then, CPC has expanded its services based on the needs expressed by those in the community. The Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc. now provides 70 social services at 29 locations in New York City and is one of the largest Asian Social Services organization in the United States.
About Haitian-American Community Coalition (HCC)
HCC has been serving the Haitian and Caribbean communities of New York City and Spring Valley, NY since 1982. HCC’s mission is to champion the well-being of its constituents through advocacy, empowerment, health education and supportive services. This is achieved by providing information, access to services and various resources toward the goal of self-sufficiency. Their initiatives and well-designed programs have helped thousands pursue a better life. In 2012, HCC served approximately 10,000 individuals through disease prevention, fitness, health education, case management, housing placement assistance, mental health services, substance abuse counseling, community mobilization, and client advocacy for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. HCC’s radio programs reach approximately 130,000 individuals, annually. Topics include disease prevention, health education and general information regarding HCC’s initiatives. HCC maintains English, French, Spanish and Haitian Creole speaking staff, and has the capacity to provide interpretation services and translate documents info the aforementioned languages.