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Since then, Sykes has taken it upon himself
to help make a difference and spread the word about healthy
lifestyles and healthy choices.
“It was a wake up call,” said Sykes on
Monday, February 22 during a luncheon organized by the Mercy
M.A.R.C. Program (Managing chronic disease, Active
partnerships, Reaching out, Caring for you). “I was told
from above, ‘your life is not your life, I give it and I
take it. I want you to go out there and speak on health.’”
And so he has.
Last week’s luncheon was organized, at Mercy
St. Vincent, in order to introduce the program to local
black ministers.
The Mercy M.A.R.C. Program goes into
neighborhoods, particularly through black churches, in order
to educate minority adults about the increased health
disparities within the population, the risk factors that
contribute to chronic diseases, the actions that can be
taken to promote health and wellness and the role of
personal responsibility in behavioral change. The M.A.R.C.
Program also strives to collaborate with existing community
organizations with the same goal.
According to Kristal Barham, program
coordinator, M.A.R.C. counselors speak about personal
responsibility and healthy choices such as exercising,
controlling the portions of food consumes and avoiding those
foods that increase the chances for high blood pressure,
especially those laden with sodium.
M.A.R.C. offers a personalized health plan
tailored to the participant’s needs, according to its
literature, along with follow-up support system.
The luncheon featured, in addition to Sykes’
personal testimony and Barham’s explanation of the M.A.R.C.
Program, a healthy “soul food” meal – low in sodium and low
in saturated fat. Gloria Enk, program coordinator, regaled
the audience with simple ways of staying active and
exercising while doing normal work routine.
The M.A.R.C. Program’s goal is to positively
impact health disparities in the minority community and in
the long-term the anticipation is that as a result of the
program’s outreach there will be increased knowledge
regarding health issues along with measurable behavioral
changes in lifestyle choices.
For more information on M.A.R.C., call
419-251-2004.
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