When We Choose Life – We Rise
Rev. Kimberly L. Williams
President & CEO, Choose Healthy Life
Deuteronomy 30:19, God presents us with a sacred charge: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” These words are not just ancient wisdom—they are a divine blueprint for our present reality. They are a reminder that even in the face of injustice, disease, and despair, we have the power to choose life.
That very truth is the foundation of our movement— Choose Healthy Life. Born in the darkest hours of the COVID-19 pandemic, this ministry was not created out of fear—it was born from faith. Faith in God, in the resilience of the Black church, and in the power of our people to heal, rise, and thrive.
Our visionary founder, Debra Fraser-Howze, saw what many missed: that wellness is a birthright, not a luxury. She saw that in the face of crisis, the Black church—our centuries-old sanctuary—could become a beacon of public health, spiritual strength, and collective care. With prophetic courage, Debra built a bridge between the pulpit and the clinic, between faith and science, between survival and abundance.
Choose Healthy Life is that bridge.
And it is changing lives every day.
Since its founding, we have reached over 24 million people through thousands of community wellness events. We’ve provided more than 25,000 comprehensive health screenings in partnership with Quest Diagnostics. We’ve brought vaccinations, screenings, mental health referrals, and life-saving education to the very places where trust already lives— our churches.
At the heart of this movement are our Health Navigators—full-time public health workers rooted in the church, grounded in the community, and driven by purpose. These navigators are not only connectors to care—they are ambassadors of hope, helping mothers catch hypertension before tragedy strikes, guiding fathers toward managing chronic illness, and ensuring seniors feel seen, heard, and held.
This is more than public health
.
This is sacred work.
And it is working. Because we are not just addressing illness—we are restoring dignity. We are not just responding to needs—we are reimagining what health equity looks like in action.
And behind it all is the unwavering spirit of Debra Fraser-Howze. Even after surviving a life-threatening stroke last summer, Debra continues to lead with grace, faith, and fire. Her recovery is not only a personal triumph—it is a divine reminder that there is still more to do, more lives to uplift, and more generations to protect.
As President and CEO of Choose Healthy Life, I am humbled to carry her vision forward. And I carry it with this conviction: our communities don’t need saving— they need support. They need leaders who believe in their worth. They need systems built not just with data, but with compassion. They need to know that choosing life is not just possible—it is powerful.
Jesus said in John 10:10, “I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” That abundance includes health. That abundance includes access. That abundance includes every mother, father, child, and elder knowing that they are worthy of wellness.
Choose Healthy Life is not a tagline. It is truth.
It is ministry.
It is movement.
It is mission.
And every time we choose life, we affirm the promise of God—for ourselves and for those yet to come. Because when we choose health, we are not just surviving—we are rising. Let us rise—together.
