My name is Meredith Potter. I am the proud Founder and Executive Director of Community Health Matters. Community Health Matters is a nonprofit organization that provides financial, mental, social- emotional and physical health education for school-aged children, their families and community members in low-income neighborhoods.

I am asking for your help to kick start Community Health Matters for the 2022/2023 school year and grow the program to reach more children.

Our educators go into schools and communities in low-income neighborhoods and teach reproductive health, drug and alcohol prevention, anti-bullying, gun violence and domestic violence prevention, nutrition and physical fitness, healthy communication, and financial education. In other words, we offer all the resources and education needed for a person to be physically, mentally, and financially healthy. With your help, we will be able to continue to equip our children, their families and communities with the essential resources, education, and role models they need to get out of poverty and live their dreams.

About Meredith Potter:

I have been working as a Health Educator for over 15 years in more than 60 schools in all socio-economic communities in Ohio and Kentucky. I have authored curriculums which have been co-written and endorsed by Children’s Hospital, the Cincinnati Health Department, the Hamilton County Health Department, and the University of Cincinnati.

As a child I was sexually abused from age 6 through my early 20's. To cope with the shame, fear and PTSD I experienced, I turned to drugs. This set into motion a 20-year cycle of eating disorders, drug abuse, self-loathing and self-harm which kept me stuck and unhealthy physically, mentally, socially, and financially. I promised if I ever got healthy, I would pay it forward. I teach kids by openly sharing my experiences and giving them the resources and education they need to make informed decisions.

Program Success:

We measure the progress and success of all our classes and programs. Students are given pre and post assessments to ensure we reach our benchmark goals. We have a 61% increase in knowledge and coping skills upon completion of our classes - so we know these curriculums work!

With your help we can educate even more kids and families. Our goal is to empower our children and their families to combat and overcome the negative effects of poverty, paving the way for our kids and communities to DREAM BIG AND THRIVE!

How your money will be used:

With your donation we will be able to continue to teach over 3,000 students and 500 adults.

We will train and hire 2 people for this school year from low-income communities to become Health Educators for their community. Each Health Educator will be paid a starting salary of $52,000 plus full benefits (regardless of education level). This will elevate these families well above the poverty line, providing them with the resources and education they need to be healthy and live their dreams! This will also create role models inside of each low-income community for people to see what success looks like right outside their door.

We NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE! Watch the video and listen to the kids dreams. By donating to COMMUNITY HEALTH MATTERS, YOU WILL KEEP THEIR DREAMS ALIVE AND HELP THEM THRIVE!!!

Success Stories:

PHYSICAL HEALTH: I was teaching NUTRITION to adults in COVINGTON. One Mother was a recovering drug addict and had four children who were morbidly obese. Her youngest daughter, age 4, had Type 2 Diabetes and was experiencing a lot of complications. The mother lost her job because she had to leave it so often to take her children to the doctor.

"Ms. Meredith, you saved me and my children's lives! Before taking this class, I thought potato chips were healthy because they were made from potatoes. I thought because potatoes were a vegetable that they were healthy! From your class I learned how to feed my children and myself healthy foods. All my children are a healthy weight now and my youngest no longer has Type 2 Diabetes! I am able to hold down a good job now and we live a much happier and healthier life, ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR CLASSES. I can't thank you enough for saving our lives. “

MENTAL HEALTH: Several students have told me they quit ALL drugs after taking the STRAIGHT UP! class. Several parents who have taken this class have quit drugs themselves, gone to rehab and changed their lives and the lives of their children for the better! They can reinforce the truth about drugs and role model a healthy drug free lifestyle to their families. One mother said, "I didn't know I could live a drug free life until I took your class! Everyone in my life used drugs or were drug dealers or both. I had NO IDEA how to even begin to get out of that lifestyle until I took your class! Now I have an awesome job, I'm healthy and I am so proud of myself for being the great mom I always wanted to be! I would've stayed stuck in that dead end life if it weren't for taking your class. I can't tell you how grateful we are to you.”

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL (healthy communication and healthy relationships): A student took my class when he was in 6th grade and this is what he had to say afterwards: "Before I took your class, I didn't know there was another way to communicate. All I’ve seen on social media, YOUTUBE and reality tv is people yelling at each other. I thought aggressive communication was the way to get ahead and be successful. I had got fired from all my jobs (cutting grass, paper route, house cleaner) and had no idea why until I took your class. Learning to talk assertively has helped me in school, at work and in all my relationships. I even have a girlfriend now!”

FINANCIAL HEALTH: One adult told me:

"I can't believe how much I didn't know about money! I lost my bank account and had to use those check cashing and pay day loan places which got me in deeper and deeper debt! I didn't know how to make a budget and live by it until your class. I was able to get a better paying job and get my bank privileges back and now I am even saving money! Thank you so much you saved my life.”

YOUR DONATION YOU WILL HELP US CHANGE THE WORLD, ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.COMMHEALTHMATTERS.ORG AND OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: COMMUNITY HEALTH MATTERS.