EVALUATING THE PRESENT AND FUTURE ROLE OF FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN IMPROVING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S.
Creators: name: Maddox, Karen Strater
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2010

description: This paper reviews the racial and health disparities that exist in underserved communities in the United States and how faith-based organizations have affected them. Reducing health disparities remains a major public health challenge. With the persistence of these disparities, faith-based organizations will continue to play a major role in the improvement of underserved communities. In fact, these organizations are vital to the eradication of these differences. Health disparities do not have a single root cause and many factors may lead to differences in health care. To adequately address these disparities and their determinants, they must be approached at multi-levels, including individual, family, and community improvements. Faith-based organizations should be involved in this strategic effort, because they play an intricate role in the lives of those living in underserved communities. There are three major types of faith-based organizations: congregations (e.g. the local church), denominational organizations (e.g. Catholic Charities, The Salvation Army) and national networks (e.g. YMCA, YWCA), and freestanding organizations (non-profit organizations). All three types have been involved in health initiatives and community-based interventions. Some have exhibited success and some have highlighted the inherent limitations of faith-based organizations in community development. Best practices of faith-based organization involvement in community development are best illustrated in denominational networks such as Catholic Charities, and in non-profit Community Development Corporations (CDCs), such as the Abyssinian Development Corporation (ADC) in Central Harlem. Although there are many models of success, a closer look at this evidence reveals that despite their broad involvement in services, most faith-based organizations are not active in community development. While the social services that are offered are vital to meeting individual human needs, they do not scratch the surface of improving the community and society in underserved areas. In order for faith-based organizations to attain capacity to engage in effective and sustaining community development, assistance from external sources is necessary. The Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships established by President Obama can provide the vehicle for education, resources, networking, and sharing of best practices that is necessary for these organizations to develop these abilities. This Office will train the trainers, partner with State and Local Offices, hold recipients responsible, and close the learning gap (Obama '08, 2008). Furthermore, commitment by federal and state offices to collaborate/educate these organizations is vital to the increased commitment of faith-based organizations to community development. This assistance must illuminate the shared goals of faith-based organizations and the public health field (e.g. improved community for the underserved, ministry to the "whole" person, better living conditions, better access to healthcare ), which will result in progress towards eliminating the current health disparities. Given the churches' demonstrated ability to motivate, to inspire, and to pull people together, there is great potential for faith-based interventions and models to address health disparities in the future (Kaplan et al., 2006). In fact, the past models of success, as well as failures, which can be used as lessons learned, can propel faith-based organizations to the forefront of community development that will reduce health disparities in underserved communities.