Vivian W. Kurutz, wellness director of the Harlem Center for Healthy Living (HCHL), talks about how HCHL aims to help Harlem residents be healthier in all parts of their lives.
Q: What are some of the goals of Harlem Center for Healthy Living?
A: Our goal in a nutshell is a healthy lifestyle. We want to motivate, educate, and support Harlem community members to live healthier. I picture it as our part in fighting the diseases that are common and deadly in the Harlem community.
HCHL is a "full service" center. You can exercise and receive one-on-one training. We try to help clients figure out where they are in terms of health and where they want to be. We also want to reach out to people who would not likely go to the gym, so most people wind up at HCHL from word-of-mouth referrals or from walking by the facility.
Q: Can you talk more about HCHL's holistic outlook to health?
A: Our aim is for "care of the total person." You really need to have a balance and awareness in all areas of your life. You are not addressing your whole health if you exercise but have a poor diet, or exercise and eat right but don't sleep, or if you are deprived of spiritual needs. We try to show people many health methods. For example, we teach the value of stress reduction, good sleeping habits, detoxification and elimination, healthy relationships, the power of natural food, and natural healing modalities, such as body work and acupuncture.
Also, New Song Community Corporation (NSCC) is starting a café in the Triangle Building. Similar to all our programs, the café will focus on the "total person." It will serve healthy and delicious foods while providing arts, culture, and employment to our community members. The café, located in the tip of the Triangle building at 121st and 8th Ave is still under construction. The project is spearheaded by NSCC Executive Director Robye P. Wallace and will be opening up by fall 2024.