Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 1 April 2004 — Page 4

Page 4 • The Muncie Times • April 1, 2004

s vii]

Ella McNeary continued from page 1. Indiana's African Americans and other underserved Hoosieis. McNeary, who describes herself as a "longtime advocate for human rights and civil rights," took over her new position in January fduring an NAACP meeting in Indianapolis. "Since many of the other NAACP chairs came from the other fparts of Indiana, they wanted the health chair tto be someone from this area (East Central Indiana)," she said. "When I was nominated, I had a good feeling. But I hesitated at first. I was undecided fbecause I'm involved with so many other groups. "I was not sure that I had the time to serve properly. But as a doer, I decided to accept. Also, I had the background. So I readily decided to accept." McNeary said she was nominated for a 2-year term. However, she said committee chairs can serve indefinitely, as long as they are willing to serve and as long NAACP members want them to continue in office. The mandate of the statewide NAACP's Health Committee is to be an advo-

cate on health issues for African Americans, other minorities and all underserved groups. McNeary said the group will bring attention to health issues affecting these communities. It is also expected to champion such issues as equal access by all to health care, improved health education and providing pertinent information about health care, nutrition, diet and access to medical care. As chair, all state NAACP health cairs will report to her and to Indiana NAACP President Barbara Boling, a Gary attorney. "I think I was appointed to this position because of my background as a registered dietitian,' she said. That background includes a master's degree in dietetics and health science from Ball State University. She said she has been the only African American member of the East Central Indiana Dietetic Association, since 1966. She also says she is the only African American dietitian ever employed in the home economic department and the residence halls dining service at Ball State University.

Along the way, McNeary was a clinical dietitian at Ball Memorial Hospital and a consultant dietitian at Parkview Nursing Home. She has also worked at Area 6 Council on Aging. McNeary said she hopes to be an activist during her time in office. "Hopefully, this will be an opportunity to help make African Americans more aware of the diseases and disorders that affect us and how we can achieve methods of dealing with those by learning to deal with the health problems that we face. Hopefully, we can learn to face the many ways in which to combat those disorders and illnesses. My family has always been interested in health care problems," McNeary said. "We will be aggressively involved in ways to teach African Americans and other underserved groups about the connection between good health and nutrition and diet. Along with the chairs from the other chapters, I hope we can bring more awareness fto the many health issues that affect us, especially with regard to health and weight.

"Studies show that, generally, African Americans do not exercise. When I was going to school in Florida, many, many, many years ago, we had physical exercise every semester. Apparently that does not happen now. So I would like to work with the schools so they can offer more physical activity to young people. "I was very active in sport. I participated in everything. But today, many young people have no physical activity. We have become a nation of nonexercising, over-eating people. That has affected our health." The most important issue she wants to focus on, as health chair, is diet. "I want people, from the young to geriatricts, to children and everyone else in between, to know that what we eat affects our health. I want our people to understand the importance of eating right," she said, "because whatever we do we must focus on the whole body." She was born Ella L. Robinson in Bushnell, a small, segregated Florida town, but grew up with nine siblings in nearby Webster, another tiny, segregated

Florida town. She said, because of the influence of her parents, although she and her siblings attended segregated primary and secondary schools, they still managed to go to college where they all excelled: six as valedictorians, one as a salutatorian and the rest as honor students. After graduation, she went to Dayton, Ohio, to do an internship at Miami Valley Hospital. From there she came to Indiana and joined Ball Memorial Hospital and then spent 28 years at Ball State, before leaving in 1995. McNeary said while growing up, she and some of her siblings were arrested while attempting to desegregate lunch counters and boycotting the only black movie theater in Tallahassee, Fla. She and her husband, Ed Mcneary, former president of the Muncie chapter of the NAACP, have two sons, Darryl and Edric. Ella and Ed McNeary are lifetime members of the NAACP.

MRS. SHIRLEY ERBY SENDS THANK YOU! I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped in the celebration of my retirement from First Merchant’s Bank. To my family, thank « , you for your support and understanding. To my friends and business associates, A thank you for allowing me to be of service to you and for your friendship. To the management and co-workers at First Merchants, thank you for the laughter we shared, the special moments we had with one another, and for a good working environment. I LOVE YOU ALL AND GOD BLESS YOU.