Supporting Faith-Based Communities Through and Beyond the Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Community Health
• Health Education
• Resilience Training

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted BIPOC communities in NYC, exacerbating mental and physical health issues.
• Racism and economic hardship added to the pandemic's stressors for these communities.
• Faith-based organizations (FBOs) are crucial community hubs for BIPOC populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and implement an evidence-based health education program focused on resilience for BIPOC communities.
• To address the unique mental and physical health needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To evaluate the feasibility of delivering resilience workshops within FBO settings.

Main Methods:

• Adapted an existing evidence-based health education program into a resilience-promoting workshop.
• Partnered with nine FBOs in NYC serving BIPOC communities.
• Delivered 58 workshops (primarily online) to 1,101 participants from June 2021 to June 2022.

Main Results:

• All nine participating FBOs completed the full curriculum.
• A total of 1,101 unique participants engaged in the workshops.
• Workshops focused on self-care and physical fitness were the most frequently repeated.

Conclusions:

• The Building Community Resilience Project effectively modified an evidence-based program for FBOs serving BIPOC populations.
• The adapted program successfully addressed resilience and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Further research is needed on workshop impact and adaptability across diverse faith traditions.