Following what she calls “the most profound and life-altering
sermon of her life”, Pamela Green-Jackson still remembers
Bishop Victor L. Powell’s message on “Getting back to
Purpose” in October 2003.
Pamela vividly recalled him saying that “God will sometimes
change the direction of our lives in order to fulfill HIS purpose
for us”. Within weeks it all became clear through a dream
and a conversation with her brother, Bernard Green, that GOD had
another purpose for her life.
Armed with the “Shield of Faith”, Pamela left her job
with The Albany Herald after five years and created a program designed
to reduce the epidemic of childhood obesity. The YBH (Youth Becoming
Healthy) Project began as an idea to educate school students on
the importance of eating healthy and exercising by providing newspaper
supplements as part of the Newspapers in Education program. Two
sponsors immediately came on board to help her launch the program:
Merck & Palmyra Medical Centers.
Her brother encouraged her to “run with her idea and keep
children from struggling with obesity like he did”. Bernard
Green died February 11, 2004 from complications of obesity-related
illnesses. Three days following his death, Pamela opened and dedicated
the first YBH Fitness Center at Dougherty Middle School in his memory.
Since that time four more have opened at Radium Middle School, Albany
Middle School, Southside Middle School and most recently, Merry
Acres Middle which has its center in the Gymnasium.
The YBH Fitness Centers are co-sponsored corporately by Merck,
Palmyra Medical Centers, P&G, Phoebe Community Visions, Loretta
Haley McKnight Foundation, Mitchell EMC, Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Georgia and AstraZeneca. Many other community partners and physicians
have stepped forward to offer their support both financially and
in-kind to help curtail this enormous epidemic of childhood obesity
in this community. Statewide, over 33% of middle school students
are overweight. Georgia ranks as the 6th highest obese state in
the US and medical costs exceeded $2.1 Billion in 2004.
Pamela says, “My brother lost his battle with obesity and
my goal is that the buck stops here and the trend reverses”.
According to CDC, obesity is the #2 cause of preventable death in
the US and she plans to prevent those numbers from rising by spreading
the message of moving more and eating less to as many students as
possible.
Pamela continues to share her brother’s story and stresses
the importance of a healthy lifestyle every chance she gets. She
says, “no one else should have to suffer like my brother and
no other mother should feel what my mother felt. Parents should
not have to outlive their children – something must change.”
For more information on this program, please log on to www.ybhproject.org
