NITA MOSBY-HENRY

Nita Mosby-Henry founded The Kaleidoscope Project in Denver, Co. in 2007 to address two major needs in her community. First, to recude tobacco use in the African American community. Second, to engage members in her community who may feel disconnected through service. Nita has blended civic engagement and health in a way that no one else has done.

“My organization fills many needs. Our model increases the number of volunteers in our community. We have volunteered in all types of settings (women and childrens’ shelters, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, etc.) These types of volunteer projects increase reach within communities, while engaging segments of our population who sometimes feel as if they are not a part of the greater community. Secondly, our programs create a more intentional focus on tobacco and obesity reduction in the communities that are most disproportionately impacted. We have managed to blend volunteerism and health in a way that makes science and medicine easier for communities to understand and participate in,” says Nita.

Nita’s goal is to end health disparities in communities of color. She uses volunteerism as the nucleus for her work – speaking to the community about the dangers of tobacco use and obesity, while engaging them in service work. She finds that participants almost always find greater capacity to think about their personal health after they have had an opportunity to help others.

Nita created an organization out of pure passion after listening to the needs of her community.
She teaches those around her that no matter the adversity they face, they still have the gift of helping others, ultimately helping themselves. Nita is a true Daily Point of Light.