Featured photo: Catrina Tillman, executive director of REVIVE Community Healthcare, in the Baby Bucks room at REVIVE. Photo by Tanya Terry
Written by Tanya Terry
According to the CDC, African American women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. In Genesee County in 2018, over 1,000 babies were born premature or low weight, and almost 14% of African American babies did not live to see their first birthday. According to the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment, in Flint the infant mortality rate is double what it is in the United States!
Catrina Tillman, executive director of REVIVE Community Healthcare, talked to the Courier about how REVIVE provides resources for wrap-around services to expecting mothers that promote decrease in maternal and infant mortality, infant low birth weight and premature birth rates for babies in Flint/Genesee County.
“Our goal this year was to service 100 moms that would be active in our program,” Tillman stated. “I’m glad to say we’ve reached that goal and will surpass it before we take off for Christmas break.”
Through REVIVE’s education component, which educates moms on the changes their bodies are going through, moms and expected mothers are given practical tools regarding their nutrition.
“A lot of our demographics with the moms, they don’t really have the support that they need as they’re going into motherhood,” Tillman said.
Tillman explains sometimes when mothers don’t have the proper support, they make the wrong decisions regarding their health and food intake.
She added the program isn’t just for first-time mothers.
“Our Baby Bucks Workshops really educate the moms on all things pregnancy. That’s the main component that really helps to mitigate maternal-infant mortality.”
There are over 15 workshops for women to choose from.
In addition, each month, REVIVE does a community outreach event. One of these events was a two-week day camp for pregnant moms with additional children to drop off their children. During another event, Mommy Pamper Day, moms in the Revive Village program were able to receive facials, makeup application, hair braiding and professional photos. During the Brunch and Buck event, participants enjoyed a brunch and could shop in the Baby Bucks Room.
Baby Bucks, certificates for $25 to buy brand new baby products in the center for free, are given to the women as incentives for taking part in the program.
“By the time the mom has her baby, she has up to three months of brand-new baby essential products.”
Tillman noted they are looking to do some giveaways at REVIVE right before Christmas.
After the women have their babies, they are put into a four-week de-stressor workshop. In this workshop, women learn exercises which help decrease postpartum depression symptoms.
There is then a life coach component women can take part in until the child is 2 years old. During this phase of the program, called the Beyond the Pregancy, women also receive job coaching, financial literacy, job readiness and can take self-awareness workshops
Tillman is the mother of four boys. She feels fortunate she has not had to experience a lot of the tragedy women across the country, including in Flint and Genesee County, have experienced. She explains she has a heart for women and specifically for mothers.
REVIVE was launched in 2016, with the program finally being funded in 2020. Tillman has been with REVIVE since the nonprofit’s beginning. Tillman’s husband, Ezra Tillman Jr., is the founder of REVIVE.
Learn more about the REVIVE Community Health Center at https://www.revivechc.org/.
