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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Robin Foster-Drain, MD, MPH, To Our Children's Future with Health, c/o Center for Public Health, Temple University, 2534 Swain Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, 215-763-0754, jbecker@astro.temple.edu
The Haddington Collaborative was formed in 1995 as a partnership of a church, a community group, a hospital and the Philadelphia Housing Authority to address health and social issues in West Philadelphia, an underserved, impoverished section of the city. Presently, more than 40 organizations are members of the Collaborative with additional 20 groups participating on specific projects. Neighborhood members through the block captain system participate directly in many activities and projects. Projects entail youth literacy programs, nutrition programs, health services for the elderly and children, community beautification. A recent research pilot study has evaluated the affects of social capitol as defined by Thomas Putnam in the Collaborative. Community members and organizations participated in the design of the study, its implementation, and its analysis, prompting further interest in partnering with researchers to look at additional issues that examine the building of social capital. The importance of involving community members in the research process and in developing an action plan has increased the social capital within the neighborhood and has improved both the social and physical environments, with more emphasis now being put on the physical transformation of the area.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Social Activism, Community Collaboration
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.