The Salaam Community Wellness Center

OUR CALL TO ACTION

The south side of Chicago has been hard hit by COVID-19.  African Americans and Latinos are the largest groups affected by this pandemic.  Lack of adequate healthcare and low rates of health insurance coverage have further confounded access to many services that would mitigate the negative outcomes. COVID-19 and the resulting economic downturn have made it difficult for the most vulnerable to receive critical services such as primary care for chronic diseases, addiction and mental health treatment and prevention and access to healthy foods. Prior to COVID-19, addiction and mental services for the low-income uninsured individuals were already limited. Chicago's public mental health programs have suffered closures due to budget cuts and reduction in programs due to social distancing.

UPDATE ON WHAT YOUR SUPPORT HAS HELPED US TO DO

Through your generous support, Salaam Community Wellness has recently completed the renovation of a 3300 sq. ft. space in a formerly abandoned building in the Woodlawn community on Chicago's South Side. We are half-way through with outfitting our four exam rooms. To date we have installed new cabinets and sinks. Through an in-kind donation from a medical training program, we acquired "gently used" examination tables, chairs, and office desks. Another generous in-kind donation has helped us to begin the process of installing our IT infrastructure and begin the process of establishing our electronic health record system.

We have established collaborations with two local universities to become a placement site for the training of physician assistants and community health professionals. Through another collaborative effort we are establishing a unique approach to violence prevention. 

On Sat. Nov. 20, 2021 we will have our "Kick-off Event" launching our "innovative, integrative, holistic health and wellness program" utilizing the best of western and non-western medicine to provide affordable access to the treatment of addictions, mental health and nutrition using a newly developed culturally appropriate approach. Our program will be provided both virtually and in-person to increase access and successful outcomes. 

WHAT WE NEED NOW!

Your generous donation will help us to: 1. complete the outfitting our exam rooms; 2. purchase computers and printers; 3. purchase medical and office supplies and equipment; 4. hire support staff; and 4. cover the costs for utilities and maintaining our technology and clinical support operations such as laboratory. 

WHO WE ARE: OUR STORY

The Salaam Community Wellness Center (SCWC) was established in April 2020 in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Chicago's south side. At one point during the pandemic, African Americans living in this area suffered the highest numbers of both infections and deaths in the entire state of Illinois . This heightened the awareness of the health and healthcare disparities that have existed and remained unresolved for decades. 

Our organization was founded to address some on these issues including the lack of adequate culturally appropriate primary care, addictions, mental health and nutrition. SCWC has developed a unique innovative, integrative, holistic healthcare model incorporating both western and non-western modalities. Our addictions and mental health  treatment and prevention program will include medication-assisted-therapy (MAT) along with individual and group therapies. This program will work along side and incorporate Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which will utilize acupuncture (full body and ear) along with herbal therapies. Our nutritionist will work in concert with the addictions and TCM/mental health practitioners to provide patients with both individualized and group nutrition education and counseling. 

SCWC will be establishing a community garden which will be located on two vacant lots. Produce, herbs and flowers will be grown and harvested by and for community residents to address poor access to healthy affordable food. Some specific produce and herbs will be used for our "Food As Medicine" program which will help treat and control specific chronic illnesses which are highly prevalent in many  African American communities such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. 

The community garden will also be used as a "holistic healing space" where therapeutic mind-body modalities will be taught and practiced including meditation, deep-breathing exercises, sound therapy, Reiki, yoga, Tai Chi and Chi Gong. 

Salaam Community Wellness Center's goal is to become a new model of care that can be emulated in communities across the United States. 

We invite you to be a special part of this groundbreaking initiative. Please "DONATE TODAY" and share 'OUR STORY" with others.