BY WALTER OPINDE 

As one of the most determined and courageous women, who are out to explore, help other people, and make their dreams come true, Mary Diggs-Hobson cofounded the African-Americans Reach & Teach Health (AARTH) Ministry, Seattle, Washington, where she is also the Executive Director of this thriving institution.

Rev. Mary Diggs-Hobson is on a personal mission to eliminate the health care gaps within the African-American communities. This mission was triggered when the life of her eldest son’s was cut short in 2007 due to chronic kidney and heart disease, which was found to have been complicated by HIV/AIDS. As Mary quotes, “The best way to overcome fear and apathy is to educate people. We all need to know how to better care for ourselves and each other,” she was finally on her way in pursuit of her mission. She further asserted that, with the help and support from everyone, she was determined to improve the health of African-American people today and for the generations to come.

Thereafter, Rev. Diggs-Hobson and her son, the late Rev. Reginald Diggs, cofounded the AARTH Ministry. It is a faith-based non-profit organization, which focuses on health education for the African-Americans in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The organization was founded based on Christian principles of unconditional love, integrity, compassion, peace, power, communication, wholeness, and wisdom.

Currently, the AARTH partners with other faith houses to deliver the Health Ministry Program, which is a faith-centered strategic-planning course. They work to create health strategies that are unique to each place of worship. As Rev. Mary Diggs-Hobson believes, if a church takes ownership of its plan, then most definitely, it will be having the ability to sustain it.

As part of its health education program, the AARTH partners with the Northwest AIDS Education and Training Center with the central objective of offering HIV/AIDS training to the most vulnerable people, especially to the people African-American community. As well, the AARTH collaborated with Puget Sound Christian Clinic in order to launch their mobile medical clinic in 2011, which aids the provision of free health care services to the people without health insurance cover policies. Rev. Mary Diggs-Hobson specifies that one of the organization’s primary goals is to help improve the health of the whole community, regardless of their financial status, family background, or physical disability status. This is why the Reverend insists that the best way to overcome fear and apathy is by educating the people around you on the most fundamental societal issues.

Read more of the story via: https://lasentinel.net/this-week-in-black-history-june-23.html/4