Cobb Health Futures Foundation Host Annual Breakfast

The Cobb Health Futures Foundation (CHFF) Board hosted more than 80 local business leaders, along with a number of Cobb County and State of Georgia officials, at The Home Depot headquarters on Thursday, September 20, 2018, for the 4th annual breakfast event. The focus of the breakfast was to promote awareness of the Foundation and its mission, which is to provide financial, fundraising, and advocacy support for several Cobb Public Health programs focusing on child and maternal health.

Keynote speaker Wanda Irving, MPA, Irving & Associates, spoke about maternal health the importance of having a voice. Irving, whose daughter Shalon died at age 36 due to postpartum complications, shared a heartbreaking statistic: Over 700 women die daily as a result of pregnancy or postpartum complications; 80% of these deaths are preventable. The risk to black women is three to four times higher than it is to white women—one of the widest of all racial disparities in women’s health.

“We as women MUST be vigilant when it comes to our health,” said Irving. “We know our bodies better than anyone else alive because we live in them every day. We must not allow anyone to ignore, dismiss or demean us when it comes to our health.”

The event, hosted and catered by The Home Depot, was also sponsored by MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service (Platinum), CareSource, PointeNorth Insurance Group (Silver), Smith, Tumlin, McCurley & Patrick P.C. (Silver) and Synovus (Silver).

Table Sponsors included: Lisa Crossman, Herrin Pediatric Dentistry, Drs Elton & Kisha Holden, Drs Carol and Noel Holtz, Johnson Orthodontics, Life Ambulance Services, Dr. Janet Pak Memark, Morehouse School of Medicine, MS International and Upside Philanthropy.

Breakfast Guardians included: Atlanta Perinatal Associates, P.C., East Cobb Orthodontics, Georgia Birth Network, Georgia Power Company, Greg Herrin, Jennifer McKeehan, John O’Kane Consulting and Rhonda Page.

The Cobb Health Futures Foundation is a 501(c)3 development arm of Cobb & Douglas Public Health that allows individuals, corporations and foundations to contribute tax-deductible gifts to support critical and under-funded public health programming in Cobb County. Many of the programs at risk are those that serve children and pregnant women.

To support the Cobb Health Futures Foundation, visit www.cobbhealthfutures.org/how-to-give or call (770) 514-2325.

Caption: (L to R) Rhonda Page, CHFF Board Chair, Wanda Irving, MPA, Irving & Associates and Lisa Crossman, CHFF Executive Director, attend the 2018 CHFF Breakfast on Sept. 20.