Our New Partner Organization: Harlem Wellness Center
By Sofia Rehnstrom
What can we do but stand together during these difficult times? As an umbrella organization, Kota brings like-minded people and organizations together in order to strive towards the mutual goal: gender equality. Defending women’s rights is a battle we need to continue fighting, especially now. We recently welcomed a new Community Partner Organization, Harlem Wellness Center, a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on the intersection of racial, health and environmental justice. We interviewed Vivian Kurutz, Founder and Executive Director of Harlem Wellness Center, health activist, community organizer, speaker, yoga and meditation teacher, and writer.
Harlem Wellness Center (HWC) was born in 2003, when a circle of friends in Harlem asked Vivian to share her long standing personal practice of yoga with them. As a result she ended up teaching yoga and holistic healthy living workshops as a passion project from 2004 until 2008. In 2008, Vivian was commissioned to start a wellness initiative under the umbrella of a nonprofit community development organization in Harlem. This initiative developed into a full fledged program engaging local residents in classes and workshops in transformative life practices such as: mindfulness meditation, yoga, nutrition education, personal development workshops, community supported agriculture, wellness retreats, forest therapy, sound therapy, alternative healing modalities, eco- education, nature discovery trips, dance, and community building.
“This model was built on the vision to create a community-centered urban retreat hybrid inspired by the holistic programming that our constituents were not engaged in through traditional, culturally disconnected, costly, non-neighborhood based retreat and holistic healing centers in other parts of the city and state. Harlem Wellness Center continues to offer many of these services while broadening the definition of wellness to meet the changing times and most pressing issues around birth outcomes, morbidity and mortality uniquely experienced by Black women. Harlem Wellness Center's present work focuses on the intersection of health, race and environmental justice.
The values Harlem Wellness Center wishes to promote are:
SAFE SPACE Harlem Wellness Center is a safe, warm, positive community. We cultivate and practice understanding, kindness, fairness, and respect. Our leaders, staff and ambassadors aim to model a safe, friendly, positive and welcoming community as a means to facilitate joy, growth, healing, and relief from the strife of the world.
COMMUNITY We are a fellowship of neighbors (local and broader) weaving our unique selves and gifts in the fabric of the mission, vision and hope for healing and wholeness in our lives, community and the world. We embrace diversity and celebrate that as humans, we are more alike than different. We value cooperation, teamwork, collaboration and selfless service for the benefit of the whole.
NURTURING encouraging growth by practicing fairness, respect, understanding, forgiveness and kindness.
SERVICE As a community center we value cooperation, teamwork, collaboration and selfless service for the benefit of the whole.
LEARNING We promote continuous improvement in optimizing healthy practices and personal development.
COLLABORATION We connect and engage with like-minded people and organizations for collective impact.
ACCESSIBLE/AFFORDABLE We are committed to making high quality services neighborhood accessible and affordable for all. We actively outreach and deliver programming off site to build a bridge between the HWC and those least likely to seek out our services. We are committed to leveling the playing field for longevity and quality of life by addressing health disparity.
In partnership with Kota Alliance, Harlem Wellness Center aims to work together to achieve the mutual goal of empowering and uplifting women. Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic's impact on communities of color, the economic crisis, and the BLM movement, Harlem Wellness Center is directing current attention and resources to support the mental health and wellbeing of its constituents. HWC is funded and sustained by the generosity of individuals, foundations, government agencies and fees for services. “
You can help support Harlem Wellness Center by giving a little extra at this time: https://harlemwellness.org/supporters-service
And continue to follow and support Harlem Wellness Center on Social Media:
Instagram: @harlemwellnesscenter
Twitter: @HarlemWellness
Facebook: Harlem Wellness Center
