---
title: HR 90. Several churches for their work with Project Elevation; commend
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr90
cite_as: HR 90, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr90
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr90.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr90/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69623
date: 2025-01-28
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr89.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr91.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 131
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr90.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 90
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2025-01-28
last_action: House Read and Adopted
sponsors:
  - Gerald Greene
  - Bill Yearta
  - Mike Cheokas
  - Darlene Taylor
  - Joe Campbell
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR90/2025
upstream_id: 1945143
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - community health
  - prostate cancer screening
  - faith-based programs
  - Southwest Georgia
  - public health workers
---

# HR 90. Several churches for their work with Project Elevation; commend

## Text

House Resolution 90
By: Representatives Greene of the 154th, Yearta of the 152nd, Cheokas of the 151st, Taylor of
the 173rd, and Campbell of the 171st
A RESOLUTION
Commending several churches for their work with Project Elevation; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, Project Elevation is a faith-based community-driven health promotion and
prevention program that serves the health care needs of rural communities in Southwest
Georgia; and
WHEREAS, a community health worker is a community-based front line public health
worker who is a trusted member, or has an unusually close understanding, of the community
served who builds relationships and capacity for health and well-being in underserved areas;
and
WHEREAS, this trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a liaison, link, or
intermediary between health and social services and the community, facilitate access to
services, improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery, build individual
and community capacity, and increase health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range
of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support, and
advocacy; and
WHEREAS, community health workers are a cross-sector workforce that connects
community members to health care and other social services, reducing barriers to health and
well-being; and
WHEREAS, Project Elevation has met the goals of improving health literacy, giving
participants the power to take their health care decisions into their own hands and make
informed decisions, assisting in navigating health care, and working to provide meaningful
community-based participatory research; and
WHEREAS, Project Elevation trained and enlisted 100 community health workers (identified
as Health Champions), using 25 local churches from seven counties throughout Southwest
Georgia; and
WHEREAS, the program conducts monthly sessions held at each of the 25 churches; and
WHEREAS, Project Elevation has screened 945 men for prostate cancer since 2022; and
WHEREAS, these screenings have resulted in identifying 7 percent of the respondents with
an elevated PSA of 4.0 or above as well as several individuals who were diagnosed with
prostate cancer; and
WHEREAS, Project Elevation also served as a conduit to connect 32 percent of the
participants with an elevated PSA to a primary care physician who did not have a provider
prior to the diagnosis; and
WHEREAS, the examination of these participants provided important information on the
Social Determinants of Health for the participants with an elevated PSA, which helped
address their risk factors; and
WHEREAS, participants with an elevated PSA were also screened for colorectal and lung
cancers; and
WHEREAS, Project Elevation has been instrumental in saving lives and having a positive
impact on the health outcomes of men in its community; and
WHEREAS, Project Elevation provides health information, fresh fruits and vegetables from
local community gardens, a large hen, and grooming services to each participant; and
WHEREAS, Project Elevation was highlighted at the 2023 Georgia Cancer Summit.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body commend Mt. Zion Baptist Church and its senior pastor, Rev. Dr.
Pastor Daniel Simmons, for their vision to improve health status and health outcomes,
advance efforts in health education, and promote health participation for men in Southwest
Georgia.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body recognize the Albany
Coalition of Churches, which includes faith houses in Dougherty, Mitchell, Sumter, Terrell,
and Calhoun counties; Phoebe Putney Health Systems and its president and CEO, Scott
Steiner, for their strong community support in providing clinical services; and the Morehouse
School of Medicine for its ongoing efforts to train community health workers in the Albany
community.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body honor the Samaritan Clinic
for serving as a catchment clinic for those unable to secure services, Albany Cares for
providing meals and other essential support to community members, and Grooming Gods for
their commitment to offering grooming services as part of comprehensive health and
wellness support for men participating in Project Elevation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the
public and the press.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia House resolution commends Mt. Zion Baptist Church, the Albany Coalition of Churches, and several partner organizations for their work on Project Elevation, a rural health program in Southwest Georgia.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution does not change any Georgia law. It is a formal statement from the Georgia House of Representatives recognizing the work of Project Elevation, a faith-based health program that trains community health workers, called Health Champions, through 25 local churches in seven Southwest Georgia counties.
The resolution praises Mt. Zion Baptist Church and its pastor, the Albany Coalition of Churches, Phoebe Putney Health Systems, the Morehouse School of Medicine, the Samaritan Clinic, Albany Cares, and Grooming Gods for their roles in the program, which has screened hundreds of men for prostate cancer and connected many to primary care. It directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.

### What it does

- Formally commends Mt. Zion Baptist Church and Rev. Dr. Pastor Daniel Simmons for leadership on Project Elevation's health outreach in Southwest Georgia.
- Recognizes the Albany Coalition of Churches across five counties, Phoebe Putney Health Systems, and the Morehouse School of Medicine for supporting the program.
- Honors the Samaritan Clinic, Albany Cares, and Grooming Gods for providing clinical, food, and grooming support to program participants.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare copies of the resolution for distribution to the public and press.

### Who it affects

The resolution directly names and honors Mt. Zion Baptist Church, the Albany Coalition of Churches, Phoebe Putney Health Systems, the Morehouse School of Medicine, the Samaritan Clinic, Albany Cares, and Grooming Gods, all involved in the Project Elevation health program in Southwest Georgia.

### Why it matters

The resolution carries no legal or funding effect but gives official state recognition to a community health effort that has screened hundreds of men for prostate cancer and connected many without a doctor to primary care, potentially raising public awareness of the program's work.

### Key provisions

- Preamble sections describe Project Elevation's use of 25 churches in seven counties to train 100 community health workers called Health Champions.
- States the program has screened 945 men for prostate cancer since 2022, with 7 percent showing an elevated PSA level of 4.0 or above.
- Notes that 32 percent of participants with an elevated PSA were connected to a primary care physician they previously lacked.
- First resolving clause commends Mt. Zion Baptist Church and its pastor for the program's health education efforts.
- Second resolving clause recognizes the Albany Coalition of Churches, Phoebe Putney Health Systems, and the Morehouse School of Medicine.
- Third resolving clause honors the Samaritan Clinic, Albany Cares, and Grooming Gods for supporting services.
- Final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2025-01-28)
- Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-01-28)
- Sponsors: Gerald Greene, Bill Yearta, Mike Cheokas, Darlene Taylor, Joe Campbell
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69623

> The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr90.md?full=1