DELBARTON, W.Va. — Three Faith Community Nurses, trained by the WVU School of Nursing, are working with the Regional Church of God in Delbarton, West Virginia, to improve community health in Mingo County.
The nurses, Amber Marcum, Brandi Steele and Stephanie Hatfield, have started a walking initiative called “A Word & A Walk,” which will meet Thursdays at 5 p.m. The walks, which began Aug. 10, feature a loop route with options for participants to walk either 1 or 2 miles, based on each person’s ability. So far, 12 community members have signed up to join this community engagement effort.
Hatfield hopes to increase awareness of how the choices we make influence our physical and spiritual life. Hatfield says she and the other nurses are leading this effort to try to motivate people in the area both physically and spiritually.
In addition to the walk, they will offer weight and blood pressure checks, and will be going over a devotional titled, “Get My People Going.” Hatfield plans to collaborate with community members to provide healthy and low carb snacks.
They will continue to meet for eight weeks, and Hatfield hopes to eventually make the event biweekly. Hatfield says they plan to do a “Biggest Loser” style contest, and they will award a prize to the winner. The nursing team’s goal is for people to want to continue the walk even at the end of the eight weeks.
“I am excited for the program, and I am praying it gets more people motivated,” Hatfield said.
“Building community engaged partnerships, where in a reciprocal fashion, community leaders partner with each other to build programs that support community members here in West Virginia is what the land grant mission is all about,” said Dr. Angel Smothers, Associate Dean for Community Engagement at the WVU School of Nursing. “The WVU School of Nursing is thrilled to be a partner in this amazing initiative.”
Funding to support this work was made possible by the Pallottine Foundation of Huntington. Their gift was awarded via the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
To learn more about the Faith Community Nursing program at the WVU School of Nursing, please reach out to Dr. Smothers asmothers@hsc.wvu.edu.
-WVU-
ey.ky/08/11/2023
CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu