MOCHA selects new coordinator, launches new events to raise men's health awareness

Trevis Wray and Coach Dee Brown

The Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA) campaign has hired  a new coordinator in its efforts to steadily raise awareness about health issues and disparities that effect men of color in Greater Springfield.

Trevis Wray, program officer and community leadership coordinator of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, will also serve as coordinator of MOCHA.

"For me, the health disparities facing men of color are real. I'm living with this and seeing it in my community and in my life everyday," Wray said, noting that statistics on morbidity and mortality rates of men of color are markedly higher than for whites. "Even in my own family and extended outward, I can see the currents of the typical illnesses that plague our community heavily - diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, alcoholism and more."

Wray said to keep the conversation about health and health awareness on the tips of every one's tongue, the initiative will host an on-going speaker series with leaders in the area of health, wellness and the community. The first speaker in the series is Coach Dee Brown, former NBA star and coach of the Springfield Armor.

Brown will speak about the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle and exercise on Wed., Dec. 15, at the Springfield YMCA, 275 Chestnut St., Springfield, MA at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

We encourage everyone to attend MOCHA events as a means to get men of color in our community healthy and informed.

The Mason Square Health Task Force is part of a community collaborative working with MOCHA that includes Baystate Health, Black Men of Greater Springfield, the YMCA of Greater Springfield and others. The YMCA will facilitate a variety of wellness classes ranging from food and fitness to financial literacy.

The Mason Square Health Task Force applauds MOCHA and encourages all men to get and stay healthy!

Mason Square Farmers' Market a great place to buy fruits and veggies

Eat well, live longer

Who says you can't find fresh greens, tomatoes, berries, beets, fruits, figs, corn and more in the heart of Mason Square?  If so, they must not be aware of the Mason Square Farmers' Market, an outdoor market held every Saturday at the square on Wilbraham Road.


The farmers' market is in its fourth year and is working hard to expand its presence and the traffic flow of shoppers there.


Organizer Tasha Moultrie-Phillips, project coordinator for Target Hunger, has described the market as a welcome relief to Mason Square's "food desert" issues that arise because of its limited supply of fresh food vendors in the area. 


The Mason Square Health Task Force is a supporter of the market, recognizing that people need healthy food to live and stay healthy. With increasing obesity and diabetes rates in our Mason Square community, we need to pay closer attention to how we eat and what we eat.


Our diet is an important health issue and shouldn't be overlooked. What better way to increase the quantity of fresh fruits and vegetables in our diet than to buy them right here in the heart of our community at the Mason Square Farmer's Market.


See you on Saturday!

Men of Color Health Awareness kicks off campaign

Health disparities between men of color and whites are alarming: men of color have the highest rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and are more frequently the victims of violent crimes.

That's why the Mason Square Health Task Force is so excited about the Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA), a program aimed at improving the health of men of color in Greater Springfield.

The Task Force is part of a community collaborative working with MOCHA that includes Baystate Health, Black Men of Greater Springfield, the YMCA of Greater Springfield and others. The YMCA will facilitate a variety of wellness classes ranging from food and fitness to financial literacy.

Earlier this month nearly 150 people, mostly black and Latino men, joined on the steps of Springfield City Hall to announce that MOCHA had received a $250,000 grant from the state Department of Public Health.

The Mason Square Health Task Force applauds MOCHA and encourages all men to get and stay healthy!