(October 2003) Community outreach and service linkages continue to 
pave the path to better health and wellness in a neighborhood in the eastide of Lansing, Michigan. At the Allen Neighborhood Center, an Ingham Community Voices partner, the health outreach team visited more than 2,000 homes and made personal contacts with 2,223 individuals, providing information and linking neighbors to social services, including health coverage plans, smoking cessation, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and exercise groups between May and October 2003.
The health outreach team, comprised of community health workers, provides health awareness information, directs residents to available resources, and identifies the needs and concerns of residents that need to be addressed. By focusing on exercise, good nutrition, access to health care, breast health, and tobacco cessation, the Allen Neighborhood Center team promotes the health, safety, and stability of families in a diverse urban area with an average household income of $15,200.
The health outreach team members are enthusiastic about their work and committed to improving the health of their community. Their warmth, sincerity, and friendliness coupled with effective canvassing strategies have made their motto, "Good Health is Contagious! Catch Some on the Eastside," a reality for many neighborhood residents who have benefited from their services.
For more information on Community Health Workers in other Community Voices sites, download a copy of the policy brief Community Health Workers and Community Voices: Promoting Good Health.