SHE’S BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH MOVEMENT, ONE STEP AT A TIME

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Uchenna Jones. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Uchenna Jones follows three F’s: Faith, fellowship and fitness.

As a nurse, Uchenna was trained to care for others. However, she realized she needed to take that same level of care of herself. After losing 110 pounds in ten months by focusing on her own nutrition and exercise program, Uchenna was inspired to spread her passion for wellness to other members of Madison’s BIPOC community. In 2019, she founded the Madison Gospel 5K Foundation, an organization that focuses on the health and wellness of people of color. She started planning walks and races and recruited the community to join her in improving their health, one step at a time. However, the endeavor turned into so much more than she ever expected.

In addition to lively races that are filled with participants expressing their joy through movement, the MG5K Foundation also works to educate families. Once a month, they host wellness talks that focus on different aspects of health, including mental health struggles. MG5K events are joined by a variety of health vendors ranging from physicians and dentists to local gyms and health clinics, each focused on providing resources that keep families healthy. While the MG5K Foundation has a focus on BIPOC individuals, Uchenna is steadfast in her mission to serve the entire community. Nobody is turned away from participating in MG5K events because Uchenna devoutly believes that unity fosters community.

As for Uchenna’s plans for the future, she’s hoping to pass the organization on to her son someday. He may only be 11 years old, but he’s already eager to take on the responsibility of inspiring his community to find joy through movement. Luckily, his mother’s belief in serving and empowering her community through health and wellness is a mission that stands the test of time.

Tell us about your volunteer role with the Madison Gospel 5K Foundation.

We’re actually entering the organization’s seventh year. I do the marketing, I put together the committee, I keep in touch with the board and I reach out to get sponsorship because the race takes a whole year to put together. When we plan the race, we reach out to businesses to help us with the big financial responsibilities and then we try to keep the entry price point as low as possible. We host healthcare as well. We have area clinics, our local gym and nonprofit organizations that come out.

We also have other grassroots organizations that are focused on mental health.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

By profession, I’m a nurse and I was working at one of the local hospitals. I got to a point where I was providing care for people, but I felt like I wanted to do more. So I said, well if you don’t find it where you are, there’s always that rule or that option to build with what you want. So that’s where the journey started. However, the process was also part of my health and wellness journey. At the time, I was newly married with two littles. I started to work out, watch what I was eating and move more. I got into running. In Madison, we’re known for running, but for white individuals. I’m originally from New York, so I’m used to seeing different bodies. But living in a majority-white area it’s just very interesting. I just kept doing what I was doing, and people kept inquiring and thought it was cool when I would post all the stuff I was doing. I had this idea that I wanted to have a race, but I wanted it to be where BIPOC individuals were visible.

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

To continue to create spaces where families can grow and thrive through movement and mental health conversations. Families are going through things, right? Sometimes you can’t solve it, but one of the things we don’t do enough is listen. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that somebody can hear another person’s problem, and you give somebody in that space an opportunity to help and solve it.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

What I love is to hear the growth of a person. They say they were afraid to do this, but you opened this world to me. Now they have completed their third, their fourth, their fifth race. They realize you’re not competing against somebody else: it’s you. You’re competing against the part of you that wants to be 100 percent successful, and the other part that just wants to be a couch potato or just wants the world to take you over. We are all overcomers. We just have to be put under the right circumstances.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

I’m going to reference the great book again. There’s a verse that says, ‘If any one of you want to be great, you have to serve.’
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

I think it reinforces why they care. They’re doing something about it. They’re improving the circumstances. I know the need is great, and I think that’s where a lot of people are paralyzed. They think they’re one person, so what can they do? But one person can mobilize a lot of people. It’s the power of telling your story. It’s the power of connection.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

You know you can start small. You can start at a food pantry. You could start by staying after school and volunteering your time and tutoring. There are so many different ways you can give, but work with your talents and treasures. Work with the things about you as a person that you know can be beneficial. A lot of people think they don’t have anything to offer, but they can take an inventory of the things they can do well and what they’re willing to do. That’s where I started. Nurses are taught to educate so it’s so easy to provide information. But what I didn’t realize was the information was transforming lives.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

That they can do it too. It’s not hard, and it doesn’t take much. I started my organization, with zero dollars and zero cents. I just had the faith. We have raised over $300,000 and moved 90% of it into the community. It’s just beautiful what I’ve been able to see and bear witness to, and it allows me to believe that communities can thrive. The solutions to the problems are in the community. It’s just that we have to connect.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Uchenna? Find local volunteer opportunities.