| Health Fair Brings Services to the Door
Residents attend health fair. |
Girl learns how to use stethoscope at health fair. |
When it comes to providing health services to low- and moderate-income families in Santa Ana, CA, if the families won't come to the health center, then the center will come to them.
For the sixth year, the Lyon Street Health and Safety Fair drew thousands of people, partially because the annual fair is held right outside of their homes. The organizers, recognizing that transportation is often a main obstacle for families who need health treatment, held the fair in the apartment complexes' backyards.
The Weed and Seed site, Families Together of Orange County (FTOC), and apartment managers plan the free event, which is sponsored by various local and national organizations. FTOC, a nonprofit organization that supports low- and moderate-income families with social, educational, and health services, recognizes that many families lack insurance and cannot afford medical care. Many families are Spanish speaking and without high school educations, so language and communication are barriers for them as well.
"There is no center where they can walk to," said Lan Nguyen, a neighborhood restoration aide for the Weed and Seed sites in Santa Ana. "They don't know about health care, and the fair is a good way to get programs known."
Attendees received free health screenings and visited health and prevention information booths. Educational, legal, and community service providers were also on hand to sign families up for a number of programs, including tutoring, computer classes, and personal business help.
The annual fair is a family event with activities and games for children. But it also has a serious side and features safety information. One of the reasons why the fair includes information about fire prevention is because of a fire that burned down one apartment complex 2 years ago.
Weed and Seed helped plan the event, Nguyen said, and contributed $500 to its operating expenses. The site also coordinated volunteers and helped with the event setup. Event planning went smoothly this year, Nguyen explained, partly because of the good relationships and partnerships that exist among city agencies, police departments, and nonprofit organizations. Nguyen said the police department focuses a lot on prevention and works alongside neighborhood associations.
For more information, contact:
Lan Nguyen
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