Springtime is a time for renewal and rebirth, as we wake up from the long winter months. We will see longer days, warmer weather, animals coming out of hibernation and many of us should probably do some spring cleaning! In the spirit of starting over and refreshing ourselves, Esperanza held its Spring Health Fair on April 24th, at Esperanza College. It was a free event, open to all Esperanza staff, Esperanza students and their families, and community residents.
The health fair was hosted by Champions of Hope: Latinos Preventing Diabetes, in partnership with Cities for Better Health, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Miriam Medical Clinics, Esperanza College, Esperanza’s Housing and Economic Development Division (EHED), The Latino Medical Student Association, Asociación de Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM), Mi Salud Wellness Center, Medicos Unidos and more!
There were different activities available for attendees to enjoy. For example, the Our Voices, Our Vaccines initiative was present, handing out materials designed by community members about COVID-19 and flu vaccination. The University of Pennsylvania’s Dental School provided education about oral health and free dental care supplies. Gail Acosta from Esperanza’s Cyber School provided CPR training and demonstrations. Dr. Nilsa Graciani, Chief STEM Officer at Esperanza and one of the organizers of the health fair, told me that, “Our Champions of Hope encouraged participants to live a healthy lifestyle by staying active and eating a balanced diet. They shared diabetes prevention education, demonstrated the use of VR for physical activity and talked about the nutrition series Vida Sana en Familia. Participants also interacted with our virtual dissection table and virtual patients.”
Other activities at the health fair were Zumba classes, yoga sessions, a pop-up health clinic with free blood pressure and glucose screenings, and a live healthy cooking demonstration by a professional chef. At the end of the fair, prizes were raffled out to a lucky few!
Around 70 people attended the fair, and 25 vendors participated. The event was also covered by Univisión, who broadcasted live from the event site at 6 pm. Dr. Nilsa Graciani shared, “Thanks to Cities for Better Health (formerly Cities Changing Diabetes) we are being able to make an impact in our community. This is the fourth community health fair and every year the event grows.” We had a wonderful time hosting (and participating) in the Champions of Hope Spring Health Fair, and we are already thinking about next year’s event. Happy Spring to all and stay healthy!
