Taking aim at health inequities
Natrina Kennedy, who founded the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), earned a Loyola bachelor’s degree and is now a student in Loyola’s Master of Public Health program. The WHI’s newest program, the Color of CARE, is built on her capstone master’s project. CARE, which stands for Culture, Active Selfcare, Resilience, and Education, is a five-year initiative that addresses chronic and toxic stress, depression, and poor mental health outcomes among African-American women aged 15 to 45 living on the South Side of Chicago.
“The Color of CARE’s goal is to reduce the number of frequently stressed days among African-American women by building resilience, encouraging active participation in healthy self-care practices, mental health education, and increased social support through connection to culture and community,” Kennedy says.
Kennedy has worked with four BLC clinicians, who have performed tasks ranging from developing her website’s privacy policy and terms of service to filing required forms with the Internal Revenue Service to drafting vendor contracts for a fundraiser. “Each student had different strengths and brought something unique and valuable to the table,” she says, “and I think they learned from me, too.”
Cameron Woolley, a 3L clinician this past spring, worked with businesses at all stages of development. “I worked with one from the conceptual stage all the way through formation and creation of a management structure,” he says. “Natrina’s organization was already well established when she came to us, but we were still able to help with advanced matters,” he says. “I like that the BLC can help small businesses and not-for-profits at all stages of their development.”
Without the BLC’s help, Kennedy says, “I’d have been stuck at square one and wouldn’t have accomplished half of what I’ve been able to do.” –Gail Mansfield
Editor’s note: Starting in March, the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique set of challenges for the BLC and its clients. Many clients struggled with mandatory closures and sheltering in place. Some became difficult to reach or, uncertain about their economic situation, asked to put their legal projects on hold. At government offices such as the Illinois Attorney General and the IRS, communication methods changed and response times lengthened. Working from home, BLC students persevered and continued to serve clients in their remote settings.
From Loyola Law Magazine 2020