Building a Tobacco-Free Future, With Community at the Center
When Sabathani Community Center began developing its Smoking Cessation Program earlier this year, the first step wasn’t telling people how to quit. It was listening.
“This is a program built with the community in mind and built with the community voice,” said Tisha Smith, Sabathani’s Smoking Cessation Coordinator. “Everything that we’re doing is focused on what the community thinks is beneficial to help quit smoking.”
The program includes services and activities supported through two Minnesota Department of Health initiatives: Quit Partner Ambassadors and Community Driven Approaches to Cessation. Together, they support Sabathani’s efforts to expand access to tobacco cessation education, resources, and community-based support.
And central to that work is a simple idea: ask the community what it needs.
Starting by listening
The program began in June 2026, with a particular focus on the impact of menthol and other commercial tobacco products in Black and Brown communities.
Through Breathing Free Conversations, Sabathani has been inviting current smokers and people interested in quitting to talk openly about their experiences with tobacco: what makes quitting difficult, what kinds of support are actually helpful, and what healthier communities could look like.
Those conversations are already informing the program.
Participants have talked about the ways tobacco products have been marketed within Black and Brown communities, as well as the role smoking can play within families and social environments. They’ve also shared the many reasons someone might consider making a change—from health and family to the rising financial cost of smoking, or simply feeling increasingly isolated as fewer people around them smoke.
For Tisha, creating a safe, welcoming space for those conversations is essential.
The goal isn’t to judge someone for smoking or insist that quitting is the only measure of success. Reducing tobacco use can be meaningful, too. Instead, Sabathani wants people to have the information, resources, and community support they need to make choices about their own health.
Taking support into the community
One message Sabathani has heard clearly is that people want more than information. They want support.
That’s why the program is exploring ways to make cessation resources visible and accessible in places people already know and trust—from community organizations and neighborhood businesses to barber shops and other gathering spaces.
It’s also behind the creation of Sabathani’s new Smoking Cessation Community Ambassador Program.
The first cohort of Ambassadors will participate in training, an eight-week tobacco-free curriculum, monthly meetings, and community outreach. Ambassadors will share information about quitting commercial tobacco, connect community members with cessation resources and support services, and serve as trusted advocates within the community.
Ambassadors can earn up to $1,750 over the six-month program by completing training and meeting participation requirements.
Get involved
There are two ways to take part in the work happening now:
Join a Breathing Free Conversation.
If you currently smoke or are interested in quitting, share your experiences and perspectives in a welcoming, judgment-free setting. What Sabathani learns through these conversations will continue to shape the program and the support it provides. Choose a session below to learn more and sign up:
- Community Connections Edition – Wednesday, September 16 • 10am–12pm
- Healthy Futures Edition – Wednesday, September 30 • 1–3pm
Become a Smoking Cessation Community Ambassador.
Help connect people in your community with information, resources, and support for tobacco-free living. No previous experience is required, and training is provided. The Ambassador role includes monthly meetings and at least two hours of community outreach each month. Learn more and apply below. Training begins September 16.
Looking ahead
Ultimately, Sabathani hopes the program will help reduce tobacco use and exposure in South Minneapolis while increasing awareness of the resources already available to people who want to make a change.
But Tisha also sees the work as part of a broader picture of health and wellness. Cutting back or quitting can mean improved health, more time and money for other priorities, and a greater sense of connection with family and community.
And as the program continues to develop, community voices will remain at its center.