Mound City Medical and community groups work with churches on extravaganza
By Gerald Pace
For the St. Louis American
Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church Radio Ministry, Howard University Alumni Association, Mound City Medical Forum and Williams and Associates, Inc. recently partnered to sponsor the Mind, Body, and Soul Gospel Extravaganza.
“For our first year, I am excited with the turnout, performances, and response,” Howard University Alumni Association vice-president Tamara Howard said.
The extravaganza featured gospel music and poetry performances by several local and national artists, including Zella Jackson-Price, David Peaston and Karen Hylton. Progressive Baptist and Cote Brilliant Presbyterian Churches combined their musical talents to form a mass choir under the direction of Arnold Jones. The event paired health education with inspirational gospel music to inspire people to get excited about their health.
“The two issues we would like to raise awareness on are health care and education,” Erise Williams, CEO of Williams and Associates, Inc. said.
“The proceeds will go to helping people who are in need and don’t have resources for health care.”
Williams and Associates, Inc. is a non-profit organization that works towards eradicating health disparities in the African-American community. Since 2002, the organization has been instrumental in educating the local African-American community about health risks concerning cancer, diabetes, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS.
Williams said a portion of the proceeds from the event would help Williams and Associates, Inc. to provide necessary services for uninsured and underinsured minority patients. The organization hopes to be able to give about 80 free HIV tests per month.
“We want to provide health screenings for HIV and diabetes,” she said. “HIV testing kits have an average cost of $18, and this is why we are raising money and seeking grants to give them free of cost.”
A portion of the proceeds will also help fund scholarships for minority students. The Rev. William G. Gillespie, pastor of Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church, said the church will use some of the money raised to benefit the William G. Gillespie Scholarship Fund.
“The scholarship fund is open to all young people,” Gillespie said. “There is no denomination to education.”
For 20 years the church has awarded the scholarships to deserving local students. The awards range from $800 to $1,200 dollars. In order to qualify for the scholarship, students need only to demonstrate financial need.
“Once a student applies, they must work in the church or a community-service program,” Gillespie said. “We have sometimes had more applicants than we’ve been able to award, and this extravaganza helps us acquire the funds to continue the scholarship program.”
“This was a unique event, because we do not usually partner with non-medical organizations,” Dr. Consuelo Wilkins, president of the Mound City Medical Forum, said.
“The organization’s main focus is health literacy and deals with health disparities in the minority community and health screenings. The Mound City Medical Forum also has a scholarship fund, and this exposure will encourage people to get involved.”
“It was wonderful beyond my expectations,” Andrea Essex-Davis, treasurer of the Howard University Alumni Association, said. “It was good for Howard to partner with other organizations to increase the community’s awareness of health issues.”
For more information, contact Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church at (314) 381-2770 or Williams and Associates, Inc. at (314) 531-2284.
The gospel scene
Musician Kevin Burroughs Neely (KBN) recently released a three-disc Christian music set that includes an inspirational CD, Love One Another, an instrumental CD Fingers of Fire and a praise and worship disc, Perfect Praise Vol. III. KBN’s publicist Karen Simmons of Sharper Communications, Donna Jones of a Cinderella Affair and Joe Black of Clear Channel Communications put on a spectacular event at the Fox Theater. Special guests included retired Rams player and recently ordained minister Aeneas Williams, Dr. Alfred Harvey, pastor of the St. Louis Christian Center and singer Vanessa Dale Coleman.
Missionary Vera Boykin will host a book release Saturday, November 5 from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at San Francisco Temple Christian Assembly. And Ye Shall Receive Power is filled with inspirational information to bless readers. For more information, call (314) 363-1479.
C.R.O.W.N.S Ministries will hold auditions for two upcoming productions Saturday, November 5 at 4:30 p.m. at Friendly Outreach Mission, 4025 Seven Hills Drive. The ministry seeks poets, rappers, dancers, singers, actors and actresses of all ages for the holy hip hop musical drama, Damaged but Not Destroyed and the gospel stage play, Attack of the Heart. For more information call (314) 599-4426 or visit www.crownsministries.com.
