Community

Located in Brooklyn, New York, the Arthur Ashe Institute was founded in 1992 by tennis champion, humanitarian and activist, Arthur Ashe, to champion health equity and community wellness. Arthur Ashe once said, “To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can;” and the Institute started in Brooklyn neighborhoods, by collaborating with the community-businesses, community/faith-based organizations, academic institutions and legislators to promote health. AAIUH utilizes a model of community health empowerment to engage communities to address the disproportionate burden of illness and death faced by people of color within the community. Over the past five years, key Institute personnel, Dr. Marilyn Fraser (Chief Executive Officer) and Dr. Tenya Blackwell (Director of Community Engagement & Research) have closely worked with the U54 Outreach Core’s team, and engaged in biweekly, project meetings to ensure bi-directional communication and appropriate CBPR outreach strategies.  The Institute’s trained community outreach staff has reached out to hundreds of hair salon and barbershop personnel and clients to provide cancer prevention education.

Through education, empowerment, advocacy, and leadership trainings, Voces Latinas strives to ensure that Latinos have a voice in making healthier decisions for themselves and their families.  Voces Latinas reaches out to new and undocumented Latine immigrants, and meets them where they are by providing culturally-responsive services.  Through collaborations with a diverse network of partners and supporters, Voces Latinas has been making a meaningful impact on the lives of Latine individuals and families by providing access to resources and opportunities that promote wellness, celebrate cultural heritage, and support community building. Over the past five years, Voces Latinas has worked with the U54 Outreach Core’s team and engaged 12 Community Health Workers (CHWs) to address cancer disparities within underserved Latine communities in New York City.

Founded in 1973, Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc (KCS) is the oldest and largest 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization assisting Korean-Americans and other immigrant communities in the greater New York City area with economic empowerment, social well-being, and health and wellness. KCS envisions a world where immigrant communities remain grounded in their heritage and work together with the broader community to build a better society at large. Director of Community Health, Sara Kim, works closely with the U54 Partnership and is committed to bridging the gap for Korean immigrants and the broader Asian community. Sara Kim’s leadership aims to facilitate full integration into society, overcoming economic, health, and linguistic barriers. KCS achieves its mission through culturally competent programs in Aging, Education, Immigration, Workforce Development, Public Health, and Mental Health. The organization envisions creating independent and thriving community members, fostering a sense of belonging and prosperity.