A state-of-the-art, community-rooted health framework serving Black and minority men and women in Northeast Ohio — advancing health equity through clinical access, mental wellness, digital health, and culturally grounded community care.
These statistics document health disparities facing Black men in our community. The Whole Man Initiative exists because these numbers are unacceptable — and because every community member, men and women alike, deserves access to quality care.
We address the full spectrum of community health — not just the body, but the mind, the environment, and the social conditions that make health possible or impossible. Every program is free. Every program is community-rooted.
Our Community Health Workers (CHWs) are trained members of the community — men and women who live in the neighborhoods they serve. They are not clinicians parachuting in. They are neighbors, trusted by their block, who have been formally trained in health navigation, motivational interviewing, and chronic disease management.
Research consistently shows that CHWs from within the community produce dramatically better health outcomes than clinic-based interventions alone — because trust is the first medicine. Our CHWs serve as the bridge between the community and the healthcare system.
Many people can't take time off work for appointments. Some have transportation barriers. Our Digital Health Hub removes those obstacles — bringing quality healthcare resources directly to your phone.
The most credible voice for someone's health is another person who looks like them, came from the same neighborhood, and made the decision to take care of themselves. Our Peer Health Ambassadors are trained community members who spread health knowledge through their natural social networks — at barbershops, salons, basketball courts, block parties, and faith communities.
"When Terrell told me I should get my blood pressure checked, I listened. If a doctor had said it, I might have waited. When your neighbor says it, you go."
Our annual Community Health Summit brings together 300+ community members from across Summit County for a full day of free health screenings, expert presentations, peer conversations, resource connections, and community celebration. It is the largest event of its kind in Akron — and it's entirely free.
You don't have to wait for a screening event. These resources are available to you right now — free, confidential, and ready.
The Whole Man Initiative works because of partnerships with healthcare systems, faith communities, barbershops, and academic institutions who share our commitment to health equity.
Interested in partnering with the Whole Man Initiative? We want healthcare providers, funders, barbershops, salons, and community organizations.