Local organization works to help close minority healthcare gaps in Lucas County
Nuestra Gente works to provide all kinds of help for those in need in Lucas County. That includes everything from food and clothing to connecting people to healthcare. April is National Minority Health Month, a time to raise awareness about improving the health of racial and ethnic minority communities and reducing health disparities in the US. Nuestra Gente Community Projects, a local organization that provides food and clothing for those in need in Lucas County, is hosting the first of two free community health fairs in April. The goal of these events is to help close some of the gaps in healthcare. Factors such as lack of money, a language barrier, a lack of transportation, and no insurance can be barriers to getting healthcare. The first free health fair will be held this weekend at the St. Peter and Paul Church in downtown Toledo and another on April 21 at the Immaculate Conception Church on Eastern Avenue.
Pubblicato : un mese fa di Lissa Guyton in Health
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - April is National Minority Health Month. According to the National Institutes of Health, it’s a time to raise awareness about the importance of improving the health of racial and ethnic minority communities and reducing health disparities.
There are a number of organizations in our area working toward those goals, including Nuestra Gente Community Projects.
Nuestra Gente works to provide all kinds of help for those in need in Lucas County. That includes everything from food and clothing to connecting people to healthcare. This weekend the organization is hosting the first of two free community health fairs in April.
A big part of the focus is on feeding hundreds of people every month through a food pantry.
“It certainly helps me, so I can only imagine what it does for other people,” Gilmer said.
Linda Parra is the founder and executive director. As people came for food on Thursday, Parra was handing out flyers about this weekend’s community health fair.
“We will be doing checks for diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. There will also be CPR and AED demonstrations,” Parra said.
Gilmer said the health fair is important for people to take advantage of.
“There is no telling what you might get out of it. You could have something you didn’t know about, so I recommend people going to the health fair,” Gilmer said.
There are a number of factors that can be a barrier when it comes to getting healthcare. Things like lack of money, a language barrier, a lack of transportation as well as no insurance. The goal of the health fair is to help close some of those gaps.
Carlos Villavicencio is a volunteer at Nuestra Gente. He says the organization has been a big help at a time in his life when he’s facing some unexpected challenges.
“I try to take advantage of this kind of service. I have no medical insurance right now because I am unemployed. I have no income, so the health fair is very important. Healthcare is a human right,” Villavicencio said.
Parra said the goal is to connect people to healthcare and to remind them that simple screenings can be a matter of life or death.
“I get calls and texts from people all the time saying I need a doctor for me, my parents or a friend. They often say they have an emergency and don’t know what to do or where to go,” Parra said.
A health screening was truly life-saving for a senior at one of the first health fairs. Parra said during his screenings, a nurse found that he had dangerously high blood pressure.
“She told me you need to take him to an ER tonight or he is going to die,” Parra said he got the treatment and medication he needed and he survived. “That is why all of this is so important. High blood pressure is a silent killer there are sometimes no signs, it comes up and that is it, so that is why it is important to have these free checkups.”
This is the 14th year for the free community health fair for low-income families. It will be held this Sunday at the St. Peter and Paul Church on St. Clair Street in downtown Toledo from 10-2. There will also be a community health fair on Sunday, April 21 at the Immaculate Conception Church on Eastern Avenue from 10-1.
The health fairs are free and open to low-income people in Lucas County. No appointments or ID methods are required.
To learn more, click here.