Shorter, Ala. – Mary Magdalene Baptist Church is holding a celebration for local residents who attended and completed a 6-week course on preventing and managing chronic disease and improving overall wellness. The graduation celebration will be held August 4 at 11:30am at Mary Magdalene Baptist Church located at 4294 Cross Keys Road in Shorter, Ala.

This celebration is to congratulate the participants for taking the first step in making healthy lifestyle changes through education,” said Rev. Shederick Abner of Mary Magdalene Baptist Church. “The participants attended a class every Tuesday for two and a half hours over a 6 week period to complete this course.”  

The course, known as Living Well Alabama, is a program offered by The Wellness Coalition to churches and nonprofit organizations in Montgomery, Macon, and Lowndes counties. Topics include:

  • Pain and Fatigue Management
  • Healthy Eating and Increased Fitness
  • Dealing with Difficult Emotions
  • Proper Communication Skills and Making Decisions
  • Medication Usage
  • Working with Health Care Systems and Providers  

“This program can be the start of or an enhancement to your health ministries, support groups, community outreach and more,” said Latrice Meadows-Lewis, Healthcare Access Coordinator at The Wellness Coalition. “We believe this program equips the community with the required tools needed to live a healthier life.”

Through the Living Well Alabama program, The Wellness Coalition provides up to three representatives of a church or nonprofit organization with the training, tools and materials needed to teach others how to live well with chronic diseases. This training can be completed over a 4-day period at no cost thanks to funds provided to The Wellness Coalition by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

“Plato said, ‘The part can never be well unless the whole is well’ and I believe that to be true in this case,” said Abner. “Just as your whole body must be well to keep your heart and mind well, so does our entire community have to live well so that we may have better lives as individuals.”