Health Equity

Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Grant

2018-2023

In 2018, RAO Community Health (formally known as Rosedale Assistance & Opportunities) was awarded the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Grant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This five-year grant was designed to identify and address the racial and ethnic health disparities among our priority population, Black/African Americans, in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties in North Carolina.

As a chosen recipient of the REACH grant, we convened members of our communities, strengthening a powerful coalition to maintain three program strategies:

Nutrition
Physical Activity
Community-Clinical Linkages

Society for Public Health Education

As recipients of the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant, we were offered the opportunity to apply for the Society for Public Health Education’s (SOPHE) writing publication workshop.

To our great pleasure, we were accepted and attended several training/workshop sessions in preparation for writing a manuscript. We proudly announce that our first manuscript, Specialty Box Program: Implementing Tailored Food Boxes to Serve the Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic, has been published!

This work could not have been accomplished without our partnership with Loaves & Fishes and the contributions of Ashley Carmenia, MPH, Candace Butler, MSPH, Aniessa Rollins, MS, RDN, and Chasidie Glover, RD, LDN, MS. Thank you to the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, & Obesity (DNPAO) Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for their technical support throughout this process. This sustainable program can be replicated by other organizations where health disparities related to food insecurity are prevalent. Please enjoy!

Smart Growth America

Smart Growth America (SGA) partnered with RAO Community Health and Sustain Charlotte over several months to prepare and provide a virtual multidisciplinary technical assistance workshop from July 21-30, 2020. Originally envisioned as an onsite workshop, SGA worked with partners to shift to a virtual format in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

SGA used its experience and expertise to provide education on best practices to build a common
foundation of understanding the relationship between Complete Streets and activity-friendly
routes to everyday destinations; to facilitate a series of discussions to identify local challenges and
opportunities; and ultimately to synthesize the outcomes of the data and discussions into
recommendations that represent the priorities of the community and stakeholders. Read the full report here.

Partners

Website

Active People, Healthy Charlotte

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) invites the general public, organizations, and leaders to join Active People, Healthy Nation^SM. This multisector initiative aims to help 27 million Americans become more active by 2027 through scientifically- credible strategies that work. The initiative is based on a foundation of inclusion and health equity. Physical activity is a universal social norm regardless of age, race, income, socio-economic status, disability status, and geographic location.

2019 REACH Community Needs Assessment

The survey was made available online over a six-week period from May 20 to June 30, 2019. We received a total of 246 responses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) invites the general public, organizations, and leaders to join Active People, Healthy Nation^SM. This multisector initiative aims to help 27 million Americans become more active by 2027 through scientifically- credible strategies that work. The initiative is based on a foundation of inclusion and health equity. Physical activity is a universal social norm regardless of age, race, income, socio-economic status, disability status, and geographic location.

Read the full report