Belinda Grant, Executive Director of NAF.  Photo: Urban News

Staff reports

These goals are addressed through case management, the provision of supportive services, access to important health care treatment, doctor and well child medical appointments, bi-monthly skill-building meetings, use of community resources, and continuous collaboration to reduce racial disparities in maternal and infant care.

Project NAF provides women’s wellness support, well child visits, and access to appropriate immunizations. The program also focuses on providing community-wide education on the problems of minority infant mortality, the devastating affect of inadequate folic acid, the need for pre-conception and inter-conception care, and the benefits of breastfeeding. 

In the past, program participants have been served prenatally up to eighteen months postpartum. Over the next three years, Project NAF will serve program participants and their children prenatally and up to two years postpartum (interconception period). A small percentage of program participants may enter the program during the 60-day postpartum period.

Another program component, health and wellness education, will cover topics of breastfeeding initiation and maintenance up to at least six weeks; eliminating use and exposure to tobacco; safe sleep; folic acid consumption; reproductive life planning; and healthy weight and exercise. Male partners are invited to participate in all relevant sessions.

Project NAF surveys the needs and wants of participants served, current and former, on a regular basis. These community-based surveys inform the provision of services and provide guidance for program evaluation and modification.

During the fall of 2009, participants met with staff and talked about their experience with the Project NAF Program, and identified and helped staff to develop solutions to their specific needs. They identified the need to have assistance and support from a wide range of community role models and to have help in developing ways to alleviate a perceived high level of personal stress; stress coming from fiscal, child-rearing, physical, and mental health; and life challenges. Project staff then convened a luncheon for Buncombe County African American community leaders and lay persons on November 7, 2009.

Participants in the NAF Program.  Photo: MZCD

Luncheon attendees were introduced to the concept of mentoring and asked if they would be interested in participating. The response was overwhelming: those present were eager to participate, making such comments as “This is an opportunity for me to give back what has been given to me”; “[Let me] learn what I can do to help and gain ideas that will help in my own family”; “I want to do this because I was once where these women are now and I really didn’t have anyone to talk to.”

As a result of this input, a new component was developed: program participants will also receive additional support and assistance through the development of a mentoring network from African American community leaders. The mentoring component, AIM (Advocacy & Information through Mentoring) will start during the first year of the grant period as a pilot project involving eight program participants.

The project will increase program participation in years two and three of the grant period. Mentors will provide a much needed extension of the project staff and an additional viewpoint and role model, coach, and cheerleader. Program participants who request or are in need of additional support services will be referred to Dr. Calvin Kelly, PhD.

Someone has said that there is not a single book on earth that is completely understood by just one person. Every one of us comes to the printed page with prior knowledge and experiences, with different viewpoints and biases, with different insights and blind spots. Though we can “comprehend” text the first time we read it, deeper comprehension is more likely to occur when we discuss our readings with others. (Kelly Gallagher: Deeper Reading: Comprehending Challenging Texts).

The Mount Zion Community Devlopment office is located at 47 Eagle Street in downtown Asheville, NC. For more information, contact Belinda K. Grant or Shari Smith at (828) 225-8155, or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Visit the website at www.mtzionasheville.org.

Project NAF extends heartfelt thanks to The Department of Health & Human Service’s Healthy Beginnings & Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities, and Buncombe County for funding for the Project NAF Program.