Attacking Mental Illness, Addictions and More

Constance Shabazz is organizing this fundraiser.

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Mental illness. Addictions. C0VID 19. Stress. Nutritional Deficiencies.

These are the issues we are seeking to address with our Salaam Community Wellness Center, and calls for services are already coming in.

Early on in COVID-19, the South Side of Chicago suffered the highest number of infections and deaths in the state of Illinois. Additionally, this community also had the second-highest number of nursing home deaths in the state.

Many of these deaths were attributed to long-standing unaddressed and under-addressed chronic health care conditions. This was further complicated by several other factors.

At that time there was a plan to close 4 of the safety-net hospitals on the South Side. COVID-19 precipitated the reduction of mental health and addiction services.

Public health officials conducted numerous surveys during this time that revealed this population of over 900,000 residents had fewer than 50 percent of the primary care and specialty providers it needed. Many respondents to one survey indicated they had to travel over 5 miles from their home for their healthcare and oftentimes to locations outside of the South Side. As a result, the South Side was federally designated as a health professional shortage and medically underserved area.

Although alternative/integrative health care options have been encouraged throughout this pandemic, such services and modalities have eluded people living in low-income communities.

The Salaam Community Wellness Center is seeking your much-needed support of its unique innovative, integrative health care center through individual and in-kind donations. We have successfully rehabbed a 3300 sq. ft. formerly abandoned building located in one of Chicago’s poorest communities without a single penny of government assistance.

Your generous donation will allow us to:

Medically equip our four examination rooms, mental health therapy room and multi-purpose room;
Purchase furniture, including sofas, chairs, and desks;
Build our IT infrastructure, including computers, servers, phones, and internet service for documenting and managing patient care and billing;
Provide physical, mental health, addiction treatment and nutrition counseling services to uninsured and underinsured individuals and families.

Your contribution will also help us to acquire two adjacent vacant lots that will be developed into an enclosed community garden/farm where fresh produce and herbs will be grown. This will also be a space where some of the mindfulness therapies will be conducted such as deep-breathing, meditation, yoga, tai chi and qigong.

This effort will bring much-needed wellness options to a low-income community. Help us to meet our mid-November 2021 deadline to fully launch our services. We are thankful for any contribution you can make.

Check out our Soft Opening:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/abc7chicago.com/amp/community-center-woodlawn-wellness-salaam/10909421/

Visit us at https://salaamcwc.org

Sincerely,

Dr. Constance Shabazz. Co-Founder, Salaam Community Wellness Center

Abdul Akbar "Kurt" Muhammad, Co-Founder, Salaam Community Wellness Center

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