Organizational Background

JAHS MAKING A DIFFERENCE is a U.S. Registered 501 (c) (3) Non-profit Organization, legally recognized in the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland. Developed by the organizers, the purpose is to give back to communities. The primary goal is to implement programs designed to improve and empower, uplift, enrich, entertain, educate minorities (women in particular), general health, physical fitness and general wellness of the under-served, underprivileged, the economically disadvantaged, less educated, and at-risk population, with concentration on people of color.

Margaret Dureke, Executive Director
P.O. Box 1164
Riverdale, MD 20738
301.864.2800  Fax 301.864.4595
info@jahsmakingadifference.org

JAHS MAKING A DIFFERENCE and its charitable work is not affiliated with any political group or organization.

Vision

Our vision is to find the balance between activities that promote healthy lifestyle using a holistic approach to wellness.  To shift toward celebrating physical, mental and spiritual fitness and motivate women to get out of their comfort zones and go after their dreams and passions and not remain in living lives of could have, should have, etc.

Mission

Our mission is to promote awareness, motivate and empower through greater understanding of one’s purpose, raising self-esteem, and developing techniques to overcome limiting beliefs, targeting minorities, especially women.

This mission is predicated on the saying that "those who cannot find time to exercise must make time for illness" and "to be empowered is to be successful". The founders of this organization understand the liberating feeling and joy of being healthy and physically active. Our vision is to find the balance between activities that promote healthy lifestyle habits and prevent the onset of weight and bad eating habits by adopting active lifestyle and healthy life choices. To shift toward celebrating good health & physical fitness at every size away from the present emphasizes on weight and thinness. We focus on impressing on our clients whether corporate or individual that physical fitness is no longer an option but a must. Our mission is to promote, exhibits, educate, emphasis, share good active living habits through community-based activities and to heighten greater understanding of the importance of physical fitness. We hope to use our mission and Margaret Dureke's proven weight lose and active living program to achieve our vision in the battle of the bulge and search for healthy living. We also hope to change peoples' belief system about what constitutes exercise and why it is a must today!

Goals & Objectives

1. Empower women to aspire and be empowered to achieve the impossible by stepping out of their comfort zones.
   
2. Challenge women to live their purpose and just not make a living.
   
3. Discover life purpose through a soul/spiritual journey.
   
4. Inspire and teach through a workshop series with successful powerful women to share methods that help accomplish their achievements.
   
5. Assist with creating plans to achieve desired dreams and goals with success.
   
6. Help women journey to gain self-esteem and confidence.

Benefits

The health and medical benefits of physical fitness and adopting healthier lifestyle by design has been well established by the medical and health community. It has also been established that exercise is no longer an option but a must for today's generation if one is to live a longer healthier and meaningful life. JAHS Making A Difference believes that a fundamental behavioral modification and or change must be encouraged and promoted if we can achieve a realistic evolution of the epidemic on non-active lifestyles of our current population.

In collaboration with the medical community and partnership with many health professionals and other health conscious organizations, schools, and churches, JAHS Making A Difference is committed and dedicated to educate these populations the importance of physical fitness, and why active living must be adopted as a way of life and not just down at the whips and caprices of the individual. Some of the benefits of the active lifestyle are reduction in the risk of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, looking good, feeling good, reducing stress and depression, maintaining healthy weight, losing weight and the positive impact of such change on the total sociological and psychological well-being of the individual.

When physical exercise is combined with other positive lifestyle changes and motivational incentives, it has the potential to unleash the hidden powers of the individuals involved to take charge of their lives. Physical inactivity has become a serious problem in the United States. More than half of American adults do not meet the recommended levels of moderate physical activities (Physical Activity, 1996). Although it is a national problem, however, according to the National Institute for Health (NIH), inactivity is more prevalent among low income, less educated adults. It has also been found to affect adult females disproportionately. Inactive adults have twice the mortality rate of active people (Blair & Connelly, 1996). Promoting physical activity have a significant impact on reducing childhood obesity, chronic disease, and, ultimately, adult mortality. Many studies have found a correlation between physical activity and self-concept or self-esteem. In some cases, it has been associated with increased academic performance, self-concept, mood, and mental health. It is JAHS belief that the promotion of physical activity and positive lifestyle changes improve quality of life. Using "wholistic approach" of balanced nutrition, greater self confidence through motivational workshops by the director, Margaret Dureke, a national recognized inspirational/motivational speaker and fitness guru to major hospitals and other organizations, who is one of the primary organizers of the corporation, was once over weight, and knows first hand with this type of significant lifestyle change could mean in ones' total well being and total outlook on life. For this reason and for the others stated else where in this document, JAHS Making A Difference seeks to make physical fitness a lifestyle routine for ordinary people and as a forum to empower women to take charge of their lives.

According to Charles M. Clark, Jr., MD, chair of the National Diabetes Education Program, (NDEP), a joint federal program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Physical activity is important because it helps the body use insulin more efficiently, improves blood flow to the heart and muscles, lowers blood pressure and increases HDL (good) "cholesterol".

"To contribute is to make a difference."

                                        - Margaret Dureke