First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) recently received a $25,000 grant from Saint Peter’s Healthcare System (SPHS) to address social determinants that lead to inequitable healthcare for African American and Latinx communities.
“This grant will support our holistic approach to ministry,” says Rev. Danté R. Quick, Ph.D., FBCLG senior pastor.
Since Rev. Quick’s arrival last year, there has been a great emphasis on the total wellbeing of FBCLG’s congregation – mind, body and spirit.
“It is not enough to focus on just a single aspect of one’s life. We believe that God is concerned about the whole person,” says Rev. Quick. “Therefore, we serve our community by addressing their economic, educational, physical, emotional and spiritual needs.”
“We applaud the work that First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens is doing to close the health care gap that exists predominantly in African American and Latinx communities,” says Leslie D. Hirsch, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of SPHS. “Supporting community partners like FBCLG reinforces our mission to preserving the dignity and sacredness of life.”
As part of Rev. Quick’s vision for FBCLG, Min. Joan Marshall, associate pastor of Wellness and Care, was hired last spring to ensure resources and programming like the ones outlined in the grant are available to serve the church’s community and beyond.
“A health fair for African American men, a youth concert and a women’s conference are just a few initiatives that this grant will support,” says Min. Marshall. “We appreciate St. Peter’s Healthcare System partnering with us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children, women and men.”
Other programming that will be funded by the grant include innovative collaborations with social media influencers, a jazz concert to increase awareness about prostate health, incentives to encourage men to make better health choices, instruction on healthy eating by nutritionists and more.
