Friday, February 28th was a first for All About You Healthcare Advocates!! Under the leadership of Kathy Villacis, Director of Community Outreach, we partnered with the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless for their community health fair hosted by the Elizabeth Public Library. The Health Fair provided health screenings, focused health education, and local referrals to resources.

The Community Health Fair served 15 attendees primarily from the City of Elizabeth, NJ. This wonderfully diverse group of people represented Latino, Haitian, and American ethnicities as well as Hispanic, Black, and Caucasian racial groups. Nearly all of the individuals were uninsured without identified access to preventative healthcare services. Interestingly, this community’s commitment to improving SDOH is evident in that the clients we served had already initiated the state aid process. The work never stops there. Every individual who attended receives a follow-up contact to ensure he/she has connected to services, and to determine what further supports he/she needs.

Moving into a new target area may allow us to identify and compare resource and advocacy gaps amongst our neighboring counties. We want to extend a special thank you to the Outreach Coordinator, Ms. Quadeesha Parker for coordinating this event. Also, the warm welcome from the Elizabeth Public Library that is supporting the expansion of our reach into Union County. We are excited about our new unity in Union!

Key Stats:
• Over 90% of participants were uninsured and underinsured, but already in the application process with NJ Family Care/Medicaid
• 15 participants served: 7 Latino, 3 Black, 3 Caucasian, and 2 Haitian
• Five (5) individuals who screened positive for hypertension were provided with digital sphygmomanometers and training on proper use
• Health literacy was addressed with each participant focused on individualized concerns