Monday, September 29, 2014

Greetings All,

We hope all is well. For those who attended the NAACP 105th National Convention, we hope you had a wonderful time in Las Vegas, NV. We hope you enjoyed the exhibit hall, plenary sessions, speakers and all that Las Vegas had to offer. Next year, the NAACP Convention will be in Philadelphia, PA. We hope to see you there.

This year, the NAACP Health Department is working in partnership with the American Heart Association and The Safe Routes to School National Partnership. At the 105th Annual Convention, the Health Department hosted a meet and greet that featured each of these partners and opportunities work surrounding childhood obesity advocacy through Voices for Healthy Kids. The NAACP Health Department’s childhood obesity advocacy efforts are taking place in: Mississippi, New York, and Tennessee. We encourage each of you to either develop or join an existing coalition to increase access to healthier foods, address school-based policies, and find creative ways to increase physical activity in your local communities. At the NAACP 105th Annual Convention, the NAACP passed a resolution that address the built environment and for NAACP units to increase safe spaces for children and adults to engage in physical activity.
This year, the NAACP and several NAACP local, state, and national leaders were featured in the 2014 State of Obesity Report published by Trust for America’s Health. This year’s report highlights effective strategies surrounding community engagement and health equity. This is a premier public health publication and because of the work many of you do in your respective communities, our voices were heard. To access this report and interactive data, visit the following link: http://stateofobesity.org/.

Project HELP

Once again, the NAACP Health Department was afforded the opportunity to provide funding to 8 additional units for Project HELP. Thank you to all who applied this year. The proposals continue to raise the bar each year and look forward to hearing for you next year. The following units were awarded: Manchester NAACP, Mid-Manhattan NAACP, Chicago Southside NAACP, Owensboro NAACP, Jackson State University NAACP, Texas Southern NAACP, and Washington, D.C. NAACP. Congratulations to all.

World AIDS Day

The NAACP Health Department is making available a grant opportunity to seven units from each of the seven regions for the purpose of supporting the 2014 World AIDS Day. Awarded NAACP units will receive a grant in the amount of $1,000 to be dispersed in one installment. For additional information and to apply please click here for details (PDF). For those interested or who may have questions, there will be a national conference call Monday, September 29, 2014 at 8:30 p.m. ET [Call-in Information: Health Call-in Line:866-917-0340 – Pin: 1515778#].

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

As a reminder, the second round of enrollment into the Health Insurance Marketplace will take place November 15, 2014 – February 15, 2015. We encourage you to conduct  ACA health resource and outreach summits in each of your respective communities. For additional information about ACA and the insurance marketplace in your state visit: http://www.healthcare.gov.

Again, we thank you for your efforts and commitment to social justice. Please keep the NAACP Health Department informed of your various events. If you have any questions, concerns, or would like additional information regarding these or other topics, please let us know.

Sincerely,
The NAACP Health Department​