Although African-Americans are twice as likely to die of stroke as Caucasians, many are unaware of the risk.

LaToya Bishop (left), Max Michael (center) and Shauntice Allen recently presented grant checks to four area organizations as part of The Magic City Stroke Prevention Project. The recipients — AGAPE Ministries Inc., the City of Midfield, St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church and Youth in Aging Inc. — each received a check for $10,000 to help develop and implement innovative programs that address stroke prevention.

The Magic City Stroke Prevention Project (MCSPP), a demonstration project funded by the UAB Office of Minority Health through the Department of Health and Human Services, is one of three nationwide projects aimed at increasing awareness of stroke and its risk factors.

An educational outreach initiative to combat these disturbing statistics is the goal of the MCSPP mini-grant program. Project staff developed and implemented a mini-grant program that has distributed $70,000 in the Birmingham area since 2005.

Four area organizations were awarded $10,000 grants during 2006, including AGAPE Ministries Inc., the City of Midfield, St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church and Youth in Aging Inc. These complement grants awarded to three neighborhood associations in 2005 to Brown Springs, Jones Valley Development Inc. and North Pratt City.

Shauntice Allen, program manager for the MCSPP, is excited to be able to aid local organizations for the second year in a row, especially in the area of stroke prevention.

“Extremely high rates of obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes and hypertension contribute to the rising risk for stroke, especially among African-Americans. The goal of the mini-grant program is to empower local community organizations with the resources and skills necessary to aggressively apply for various funding opportunities, even when this project has technically ended,” Allen says.

“Our ultimate objective is to equip organizations with the skills needed to be competitive in the world of grant-writing.”

Max Michael, M.D., dean of the School of Public Health and principal investigator of the project, says he is pleased to see the program bring UAB together with the community to help improve the health of area citizens.

“The mini-grant program of the Magic City Stroke Prevention Project allows the community to interface with UAB in a manner that promotes skill-building and offers resources for neighborhoods, community organizations and churches to inform individuals of this vital health issue,” Michael says.

The Community Program to Address Stroke is a mechanism to develop and implement innovative programs that address stroke prevention from the unique perspective of communities and organizations in Jefferson County.

For more information on the mini-grant program and how to apply for funding, visit www.magiccitystroke.com .