Featured photo: Leon El-Alamin, founder and executive director of the MADE Institute
Photos courtesy of Leon El-Alamin
Written by Tanya Terry
The MADE Institute hosts a vaccine event starting at 10 a.m. July 6. Vaccines will be available to all community members. However, according to Leon El-Alamin, founder and executive director of the MADE Institute, this vaccine event will differ from recent ones hosted by the MADE Institute along with community partners, such as Hamilton Health Network.
“For this one in particular, we wanted to focus on the returning citizen population and their families,” El-Alamin stated.
A workshop will be conducted out of MADE’s transitional houses. COVID-19 vaccine and flu education will be provided, along with education on overall health and well-being. A health and wellness program is being ran by MADE. So, El-Alamin said the vaccine event ties together well with that program.
“We’re going to be continuing to work with our clients-doing things like checking blood pressure and helping them find a permanent doctor that they and their families can follow back up with,” El-Alamin explained. “Also, part of that health and wellness is our nutrition program. We’re helping our individuals learn to eat healthier. We’re also providing them with memberships to be able to go to the gym. We’re going to do group sessions. Some of our individuals just became or are becoming certified as fitness instructors. So, they’ll be leading teams of individuals that are coming through the health and wellness program and also participating in the vaccine event.”
El-Alamin stressed all MADE Institute’s programs are open to the general public, although a focus is placed on returning citizens, families affected by violence and at-risk youth, including those from low-income families. El-Alamin said the need has increased to get vaccine and health information to the returning citizen population.
“What we’re discovering is as individuals are returning home from prison or jail and places like that-we’re discovering that their health is very poor and they’re not getting the proper treatment inside the prison. Then, when they come back to the community, a lot of chronic issues that they’re dealing with, only intensifies. So, we want to start doing a better job to ensure that we connect them with our healthcare providers here locally-but also be advocates with them to help make the transition a smooth one and make it more comfortable in addressing taking care of your health.”
The community is made aware MADE Institute’s program largely due to social media and word of mouth advertising. In addition, individuals who have been through MADE’s program are kept in a database. Those who come into the MADE Institute office are provided with brochures. The information in the brochure tells what COVID is, gives prevention tips, gives vaccine recommendations, discusses side effects of the COVID vaccine and gives information about the flu.
The MADE Institute has a 95% success rate in regard to helping prevent recidivism. MADE provides transitional housing, mentorship, financial literacy, urban farming, health and wellness and generally aims to help returning citizens, families affected by violence and at-risk youth to become whole, healthy and able to be good citizens.
MADE recently established a partnership with Google, is running a program in which the institute is providing free scholarships for certification in six different IT fields and other high demand fields.
MADE also recently acquired a commercial building from the Land Bank as part of its Self-Made Ventures Program to be utilized as MADE’s main office space on the Flint north side. It will also potentially serve as office space for other businesses, including returning citizens’ businesses, and create both construction and permanent jobs in north Flint. The goal is to raise $2 million for the project-in phases.
El-Alamin expressed his gratitude to the Community Foundation of Greater Flint for the funding for the July 6 vaccine event and everyone else who is helping to make it possible.
The MADE Institute and its transitional housing are located at 503 E. Garland Street.
