December Power Poll Results

Addressing Health Disparities in Memphis

The holidays are known as the season of giving, but for the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Community Trust, giving is a year-round mission.

 

The organization supports nonprofits across Tennessee with funding focused on:

• Charitable clinics
• Disease prevention and treatment
• Youth development, and
• Diversity and inclusion.

 

In 2021 alone, the BlueCross Community Trust awarded $517,054 to Tennessee nonprofits.

Getting Women to the Table in Shelby County

In Memphis, the Community Trust gave $7,500 to the Methodist Healthcare Foundation to help address the significant health disparities faced by Black women. The funds are being used by My Sister’s Keeper (MSK), an initiative started in 2018 to help Black women take control of their health with support from Black female leaders.

 

MSK started by connecting with Black women through the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, The Links and Black sororities. They utilized Methodist’s Congregational Health Network of 728 churches in Shelby County, and they reached out to nonprofits such as the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association. Most importantly, they figured out how to deliver key health information directly to women: getting them to the table.

 

“We started hosting Kitchen Table Talks, which are lunchtime events where we discuss topics that are — or should be — important to women,” says Katrina Kimble, program coordinator for My Sister’s Keeper. “Shelby County is nearly 30% women of color, but Black women fall behind in owning homes, in access to healthcare, and, perhaps most importantly, in having a voice. That has to change.”

 

At the table, MSK asks key questions: What is financial wellness and how do I get started? Is it safe to go back to my doctor during COVID? I’m feeling really isolated; where can I turn?

Expanding Outreach

Pre-COVID, Kitchen Table Talks were held everywhere from churches and community centers to corporate offices. Today they’re all virtual, which MSK views as an opportunity since anyone with a smartphone can now be part of conversation.

 

“At one talk, I was sitting in the room with 12 female attorneys and not one of them had had a mammogram!” says Kimble. “As a Black woman, I understand the barriers. But we want women to know: You have the power. You can use your voice so you have the best quality of life.”

 

Moving forward, Katrina is excited to get back out into the surrounding communities — Frayser, Whitehaven, Collierville — where women may be siloed. She also wants to continue prioritizing outreach to younger generations, which they did this year by having Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child headline their virtual health and wellness summit.

 

“Having Michelle talk about her journey through mental health showed exactly why it’s so important to Black women,” Katrina says.

 

More than 700 women from all over the country attended the virtual summits in 2020 and 2021.

 

“It’s because of support from organizations like the BlueCross Community Trust that we can get quality speakers like Michelle,” Katrina says. “And that brings women in so we can tackle critical issues like heart disease, which is the #1 killer of women of color. Or child and maternal health, which is a huge issue in Shelby County. We’re all sisters, and we’re all trying to help each other. Everybody is welcome at the table.”

 

More on Community Trust Giving

• From Low Vision to Parkinson’s Disease, When Tennesseans Face Sensory Challenges, These 6 Nonprofits Step in
• From Suicide Prevention to Free Dental Care, These 4 Nonprofits Give their Communities What They Need