Pews on Sunday, Clinic on Weekdays: US Black Churches Get a $9.9 Million Grant to Turn Their Buildings Into Health Hubs

• A national programme run with Black clergy won a US$9.9 million federal health grant
• More than 30,000 vaccinations were given at 50 churches in its first three months
• The programme planned to expand to 100 churches in 13 states
• Church buildings are being used for screenings as well as worship

Across the United States, Black churches were opening their buildings for vaccinations and health checks, an Associated Press report carried by the Jamaica Observer said. Their leaders were using the trust their congregations place in them to tackle long-standing gaps in health care.

At the centre of the effort is Choose Healthy Life, a national programme that brings together Black clergy, United Way of New York City and other groups. It received a US$9.9 million grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services. In its first three months, the programme gave more than 30,000 vaccinations at 50 churches in New York, Newark, Detroit, Washington DC and Atlanta. The federal money would expand it to 100 churches across 13 states.

The work was meant to go beyond COVID-19. Trained health navigators based at the churches would also screen for heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, AIDS and asthma. In Milwaukee, the report said, nearly 43 per cent of coronavirus deaths had been in the Black community. Debra Fraser-Howze, the programme’s founder, said: “We can’t go back to normal because we died in our normal.”

For some people, the church setting made the difference. Melanie Paige, who lives with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, overcame her doubts about the vaccine at a church clinic. “I was more comfortable because I belong to the church,” she said.

The model will be familiar in Jamaica. A sanctuary that is empty from Monday to Saturday is an underused asset. Grant-funded health work gives a congregation a way to put that space to work, and it can help pay for upgrades such as accessible entrances, clean water, toilets and small consulting rooms. Churches that plan buildings with community use in mind, and keep their titles, insurance and safety certificates in order, are better placed to win partnerships like this one.

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