Giving Tuesday is a Global Day of Generosity and collective action to make a difference in our communities. At BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers, we are proud to participate in this impactful movement by highlighting our Move, Eat, Live, Learn (MELL) Initiatives. MELL is our approach to addressing critical social drivers and community needs in the areas of wellness, nutrition, literacy, workforce development, and advocacy. With your support, we can continue to drive meaningful change in East Brooklyn, helping individuals and families achieve healthier, more empowered lives.
This Giving Tuesday, we aim to raise $25,000 to:
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Expand wellness programs, including free fitness classes, self-defense training, and mental health workshops.
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Provide nutrition education, cooking demonstrations, and healthy living classes to foster healthier lifestyles.
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Foster literacy and workforce development through initiatives like the Reach Out and Read Program, literacy activation events, and workforce opportunities such as paid internships, stipends, volunteer work, and skills training opportunities.
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Support community advocacy efforts, including awareness events like the Domestic Violence March, the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, and the Summerfest Health Fair.
What is the BMS MELL Initiative? MELL is Transforming Lives Through Wellness, Nutrition, Literacy, Workforce, and Advocacy in East Brooklyn
MOVE: Exercise
- BMS Wellness Studio: Open since April 2023, this exercise and nutrition studio is integrated in our Primary Care delivery as we move towards exercise and food as medicine. To date we have had over 500 participants joining free fitness and nutrition classes, promoting healthier lifestyles. Classes include Yoga, Pilates, STEP Fitness, High Intensity Interval Training, and more.
EAT: Nutrition
- Providing nutrition education through cooking demos and healthy eating workshops to empower families with practical skills for better health.
- Programs focus on meal preparation, budget-friendly nutrition tips, and building healthy eating habits for families.
LIVE: Community Advocacy Initiatives
BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers is proud to champion causes that strengthen and unite our community. Through our advocacy efforts, we’ve created meaningful opportunities for awareness, support, and engagement:
- Domestic Violence Awareness March:
In October, we united 50+ participants, including community members and staff, to raise awareness about domestic violence. Together, we walked the streets of Brownsville to foster support and spread a message of empowerment and safety.
- Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Coney Island:
BMS staff and community members came together for this impactful event, walking in solidarity to raise awareness and support for breast cancer survivors and ongoing research.
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BMS Summerfest: -A major community event featuring 70+ vendors, 500+ attendees, and 50+ volunteers, the Summerfest Health Fair brought together residents, organizations, and advocates for a day of health, wellness, and education
LEARN: Literacy and Workforce
- Reach Out and Read Program: This year, we distributed over 600 books to children during wellness visits and events, fostering early literacy and family engagement.
- Literacy Activation Events: Special events focused on early childhood literacy and family participation in reading activities.
- Workforce Development: Preparing youth and adults for meaningful employment opportunities through paid internships, stipends, volunteer work, and skills training programs including serving as lead partner in the World Academy for Total Community Health High school since 2004.
With your generosity, we can continue to transform lives through programs that empower our community to move, eat, live, and learn. Stay tuned for more updates as we share the incredible stories and successes that you have made possible.
Who We Are
Why Giving to BMS is Important:
BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers is on the frontline of healthcare in Brownsville and East New York, two of the hardest hit areas in NYC, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. Our communities experienced high health disparities with chronic disease and shorter life spans before COVID-19, and those disparities have further contributed to the devastating impact being experienced.
Every day, our staff continue to provide frontline primary and specialty healthcare to families hardest hit by COVID 19, with Brownsville and East New York infection rates at over 50 percent of those tested. BMS staff volunteer to operate an onsite New York State COVID-19 Tent Testing for the community, one of the highest utilized testing sites in Brooklyn. In addition, our staff conduct outreach to screen and support our patients during this crisis including identifying food insecurity...