Free food and check-ups!
The event, sponsored by Neighborhood Health Plan
of Rhode Island, is from 11 AM to 2 PM. The Wellness Fair will take place
outdoors and is free and open to the public.
The Head-to-Toe Wellness Fair, scheduled during school vacation week, is tailored towards families with children. There will be free food, raffles, giveaways and activities for the kids.
Health related information and resources will be
distributed by WRHS’ Medical, Dental, and Behavioral Health Services, its Community
Resources Team and Women, Infants & Children (WIC) department and its
community partners.
“The
Wellness Fair is an opportunity for members of our community to connect with
our providers and staff outside of a health care setting,” stated Alison Croke,
President and CEO of WRHS. “We will be distributing tools and resources that will
improve the quality of life of our community members. It’s also an opportunity
for southwestern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut residents to get
their health-related questions answered outside of their doctor’s office.”
“The
idea of hosting a Head-to-Toe Wellness Fair sparked from a very unexpected donation,”
shared Sarah Channing, Director of Development and Communications at WRHS. “Late
last year, a gentleman who wishes to remain anonymous donated over 50 beautiful
child-sized racing jackets. Our Development Office, Community Resources Team
and WIC staff members brainstormed ways to get them to families.”
She
continued, “We realized distributing the jackets would be a great way to raise
awareness about the resources we offer to the community, not just here at Wood
River Health Services but also those provided by our partners. Our ideas kept
snowballing, resulting in what we hope will become an annual event at our
Westerly facility.”
Neighborhood
Health Plan of Rhode Island, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 health maintenance
organization, is sponsoring the event and will be onsite at the Wellness Fair
to provide resources and answer questions about its medical plans. “We are proud and honored to support this
important event, which brings critical wellness information and resources to
at-risk Rhode Islanders in a manner that ‘meets them where they are’,” said
Brenda Seagrave-Whittle, chief marketing officer of Neighborhood. “This is
exactly what Wood River Health Services excels at – embedding whole health
services directly in the community, making them accessible to all and
innovating the way in which they are delivered.”
Community
partners exhibiting at the event include Chariho Youth Taskforce, Head Start,
Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds, Genoa Pharmacy, the Jonnycake Center of
Westerly, Young Adult Author Kara Marziali, the Olean Center, Parents as
Teachers, the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center, RIte Smiles Dental and UnitedHealthcare.
“Westerly’s Only Radio Station,” WBLQ will broadcast live onsite with “Crazy”
Chris DiPaola interviewing representatives from WRHS and its community
partners.
Attendees
can enter into free raffles for baskets and gift cards. Besides giving out child-sized
racing jackets, WHRS and its partners will distribute COVID-19 tests, N95
masks, hand sanitizer, backpacks, crayons, coloring books, nutritional
cookbooks, dental kits and more.
There
will be giveaways and arts and crafts activities for the kids including balloon
animals. Food and drink have been donated by Domino’s Pizza in Westerly and
Whole Foods in Cranston. The rain date for this event is Thursday, April 21.
For more information, visit woodriverhealthservices.org/wellnessfair.
About Wood
River Health Services
Since 1976, Wood River Health Services (WRHS) has provided
high-quality affordable medical, dental and social services to the communities of
southwestern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut. A private, non-profit
Community Health Center, WRHS is devoted to providing quality patient care to
more than 8,000 patients. It is recognized by the National Committee for
Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home. WRHS is a
Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), a community-based health care
provider that receives funds from the HRSA Health Center Program to provide
primary care services in underserved areas. FQHCs must adhere to a stringent
set of requirements including providing care on a sliding fee scale based on the
ability to pay and operating under a governing board that includes at least 51%
patient-members. For information about its programs and services, visit
WRHSRI.org.