Oct. 10, 1996-Vol28n07: UB, Father Belle Community Center join to win grant to establish neighborhood wellness center

UB, Father Belle Community Center join to win grant to establish neighborhood wellness center

By MARY BETH SPINA
News Services Editor

A collaboration between UB and the Father Belle Community Center, Inc. has enabled the center on Buffalo's Lower West Side to receive a $55,000 grant from the Office of Minority Health in the New York State Department of Health to establish a wellness center.

Ronald Ingalsbe, director of the Living Well Center at UB, provided technical expertise for the proposal, which was the only one funded by the Office of Minority Health that addressed the "wellness" concept at the grassroots level. The UB Living Well Center will continue to provide technical expertise and other resources for the new wellness center.

The effort demonstrates a positive interaction between UB and the community, says Michael Rivera, president of the Father Belle Center's board of directors and a senior associate in the UB Office of Career Planning and Placement. The proposal was the "brainchild" of Modesto Candelario, executive director of the Father Belle Center; assistant director Michael Szymanski; Ingalsbe, and Rivera.

More than half to three-quarters of the adults living in the neighborhood served by the Father Belle Center live below the poverty level, according to U.S. Census tract information. Many are at risk for chronic medical problems such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, heart/lung disorders and other conditions that can be positively affected by "wellness" education, says Rivera.

Among the goals of the center, which expects to begin some programs this month, are:

· Promote the wellness concept using qualified bilingual and culturally sensitive staff

· Promote good nutrition and healthy eating habits

· Provide physical fitness and other activities to reduce stress and encourage appropriate exercise programs

· Provide a bilingual wellness library and resource area

· Provide information on health-care access at nearby facilities

· Demonstrate how "wellness" can be achieved.