This church will help you make a first down

This isn’t the first time this publication has praised Calvary Temple Baptist. Back when most churches refused to speak about HIV/AIDS victims, the church and its pastor Eric Williams were reaching out to the community to increase awareness. As this May 2008 feature, “A Change is Gonna Come,” recounted, they’ve got a lot more help today. Now they’re dealing with other health concerns in African-American community, and helping inner city football teams kick ass.

Last October, the church opened the Calvary Community Wellness Center at 3002 Holmes St. for people who couldn’t afford a gym membership and combat the skyrocketing obesity rate. That includes offering fitness assessments, exercise equipment and health screenings. Since the doors opened, they’ve started a partnership with Lincoln High School’s coaching staff to help assess athletes and recommend training programs.

“When we learned that the football team at Lincoln High School had no weight room facility or strength coach, it simply broke our hearts,” Williams wrote us in an e-mail. “They are forced to compete with other schools that have facilities that rival college and professional teams.”

Which is a pretty spot on assessment, considering the obscene difference between KC schools and the wealthy suburban programs (“The Underdogs of Southeast“).

The center has also put together a health program for Longfellow Elementary School students who are short on staff and fitness equipment, and provides free camps for elementary and middle-school students.

Calvary Temple, we salute you. If you want to check out some of these programs, visit the center’s Web site.