The savory, sweet aroma of freshly made cornmeal cakes filled the room. “Arepas!  Arepas!” the children exclaimed, as they ran into the room. Their mothers had spent the morning making arepas – a doughy tortilla-like staple commonly served in households throughout Central and South America. Many of the children had not eaten arepas since they Read More

We recently welcomed Dr. Beth Fishman, Program Manager for Addiction Services for JCFS Chicago, and Rabbi Dr. Rob Jury from Congregation Anshe Tikvah, to our community of practice, Compassion, Prevention, and Healing for Addiction. Beth presented from the social service agency perspective, showcasing community education and support services and professional training activities. Rob shared his Read More

One of the most common measures of the health of a community is infant mortality —the percentage of babies who die before their first birthday. As with many other health conditions, African Americans have the highest infant mortality rates in the country. Black babies die at three times the rate of white babies, even when Read More

We invite you into the work of creating healthy, loving communities – in your congregation, community, and other settings.  The work is big, but we can do it together – as Companions. Learn about our programs here.

We have once again received a perfect evaluation in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees. All 27 of our hospitals earned the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation. Fewer than 15% Read More

If you visit Claretian Associates’ SALUD Center on a Tuesday afternoon, you’d see youth from the U.N.I.T.Y Squad gather for friendship and fun in a safe and supportive atmosphere. The U.N.I.T.Y Squad, a sub program of the South Chicago Neighborhood Network, of which Advocate Health Care is a partner, is a year-round program that provides Read More

When a young woman experienced a mental health crisis during choir practice recently, Geri Jones knew what to do. Geri, First Lady of St. Titus One Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, immediately stopped choir practice. And over the next hour-and-a-half, she and the other choir members surrounded the woman, listened to her, and encouraged her as Read More

The South Chicago Neighborhood Network and numerous community partners, including Advocate Aurora Health, hosted a back-to-school and wellness event on Aug. 18, at Claretian Associates, 9108 S. Brandon Ave., Chicago. The event offered blood pressure screenings, one-on-one conversations with physicians, health presentations, social determinants of health screenings – and even musical entertainment, games, and a Read More

  Since he began taking a nutrition class at Cross Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, Henry Fuller has made positive changes in his lifestyle.  He eats more fresh fruits and vegetables, checks food labels, and eats healthier portion sizes. “Before, I didn’t really consider what I ate,” he said. “If it was something I liked, I ate Read More

By Rev. Shane Moore, pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church in Yakima, Washington Many times I have ideas for a sermon series but do not have the courage to preach the series.  For a whole host of reasons I talk myself out of the idea.  It could be due to not feeling knowledgeable enough on Read More