COMMUNITY
AND PARTICIPANTS
MIHOW
programs serve families in rural and inner city areas throughout
the mid-South, including Appalachia and the deep South.
The program started in rural Appalachia, serving two culturally
distinct communities: Caucasians and African-Americans.
The program now includes urban communities in Memphis and
Nashville, Tennessee, Wheeling, West Virginia, and Hattiesburg,
Mississippi, which feature a more ethnically diverse population
of Latino, Asian, and European immigrants.
The
target population is pregnant women and families with young
children (birth to three) who are economically disadvantaged
and geographically and/or socially isolated. Most participants
learn about the program from friends or neighbors. Outreach
workers also seek out prospective participants by establishing
relationships with community organizations that are serving
families in need.