Our Story
Sometimes, one moment changes everything!
In 2010, my brother shared an article titled “4 out of 5 African American Women Are Obese.” That staggering statistic stayed with me. During my daily commute from Baltimore to D.C., I began my own unscientific research,counting five African American women at each stop and along the streets. Time after time, what I observed reflected the findings of Minority Women’s Health.
Wanting to understand more, I dove into a 926-page CDC report that revealed the broader scope of our nation’s struggle with obesity and metabolic disease. It wasn’t just data, it was about families, children, and generations of lives at risk. And it wasn’t only affecting African American women; this was a national problem.
That’s when my mission began. I became a certified fitness trainer and started teaching others how to live better from the inside out. With just $500 and a vision, EndsideOut was born. We started small in West Baltimore, working with students and parents to learn simple lessons about nutrition, exercise, and mindset. Within two years, we began to see change: families walking together, kids drinking more water, and parents asking for healthier foods.
By 2018, we received our first grant and expanded into Cherry Hill schools, empowering children and parents to make healthier choices together.
Today, EndsideOut continues to grow with the same purpose—to bridge health gaps and help communities thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally. When you invest in a child’s health, you invest in the strength of a community.
This isn’t just a program, it’s a movement. Built with heart, rooted in community, and driven by the belief that wellness begins from the inside out!
OUR PURPOSE
EndsideOut (EO) is dedicated to advancing health equity by empowering children, families, and communities to live healthier lives. We believe physical and emotional wellbeing are not luxuries but fundamental rights. Our programs are rooted in an evolving global approach to curriculum development, drawing on evidence-based standards from organizations such as the WHO and CDC, and shaped by the diverse voices and expertise that have guided our work for over seven years. Our evidence-based, globally informed approach is central to our mission, and EO is committed to continuously evolving our curriculum in line with global standards to ensure lasting impact.
Our Mission
Our mission is to close the health gap in underserved communities by addressing the root causes of obesity and chronic disease. By building health literacy and fostering behavior change, we aim to create thriving communities in Baltimore and beyond. Our three core pillars are Education, Community Outreach, and Collaboration.
Education
Education
Through education of students and families about nutrition, exercise, and mental wellbeing, we aim to build health literacy that extends to participants’ everyday lives, giving them the confidence and behavioral capacity to make decisions that contribute to lifelong wellbeing.
Community Outreach
Community Outreach
Our programs meet people where they are. Through community engagement events, we create spaces for support and connect participants with resources to promote healthier neighborhoods. We value community voices and strive to address real-world barriers to health.
Collaboration
Collaboration
We believe health equity can only be achieved by working together. We partner with key stakeholders, including schools, local governments, and community organizations to align resources and create lasting impact. Through collaboration, we can increase our reach and ensure shared goals across every community.
The maps displayed show the interconnectedness of poverty, access to grocery stores, and obesity. They highlight how obesity emerges from a series of structural barriers faced by those most vulnerable in our society. EO works with these communities to develop behavior change interventions that are realistic given the immense challenges faced every day. Health should not be a luxury achievable only by those with resources; our goal is to close the health gap between Baltimoreans, and afford everyone an equitable opportunity for health.
2015 Crude Obesity Rate by Census Tract-Baltimore, MD
This map highlights the disparities in obesity rates throughout Baltimore.
Baltimore City Food Environment
This map shows the relationship between food deserts and obesity. Areas with lower access to fresh foods tend to have higher obesity rates. This highlights the systemic causes disparities seen in obesity.
Percentage Living Under the Poverty Line
This map shows the disparities in poverty throughout Baltimore. Obesity tends to affect communities with greater rates of poverty, further highlighting systemic health disparities.
