Arlene Avalon was worried that Saturday’s severe rainstorm would keep people away from the Black Family Wellness Expo, but she still went to the historic 12th Baptist Church to receive a blessing of health guidance. The forecast did not deter the hundreds of people who visited.
The event, hosted by the Middlesex Chapter of Lynx Incorporated, led by Avalon, aimed to address all health needs, including medical, mental and spiritual health, and featured mobile health screenings, dancing, guest speakers, free Meals were provided.
“People can go downstairs to help dance with their kids on the lower level, go get their blood pressure checked on another floor, get vaccinated outside, then bring food to their plates afterward… and , you can bring home all kinds of resources that you can to do in retirement to maintain your financial health, your mental health, and your spiritual health,” said Northeastern University School of Professional Health Care. said Avalon, who is also a professor in the health sciences program.
Dr. Arlene Avalon (right), President of The Links Middlesex County Chapter, and Lousie Louiseune, President of the Boston City Council.Photo: Cheripic Photo
Organizers of the event said that although mobile medical vans from Forsyth Dental, Boston Medical Center and Massachusetts General Brigham participated, there are still health impacts that hospitals may not be able to provide, as well as clinical services. He said it was important to focus on factors as well. Access to housing or access to food. Public health experts refer to them as social determinants of health.
“We want to break people out of the idea that wellness is just related to health,” said John, vice president of community engagement and external affairs at Boston Medical Center and member of the Middlesex Chapter of Lynx. Petrina Martin Cherry said. “Health is a social determinant of everything. Access to information, access to jobs, the workforce, economic mobility, knowing what your legal rights are, all of that is health.”
Avalon said the initiative was a success. Her more than 250 meals provided by Jamaica Me Hungry were gone by the end of the day, as were more than 100 bags of free fresh produce from Nubian Market.
Physical fitness class taught by Melisa Valdez.Photo: Cheripic Photo
Throughout the day, Avalon said she heard feedback from many community members who attended the event, and saw other members of the Lynx Chapter receiving the same, and that everything offered at the event was extremely He said it was needed.
“Hearing those words really warmed my heart and really reassured me that the work we’re doing is extremely important in this particular community,” she said.
The event is part of a larger effort by the national Lynx organization as communities of color continue to address health disparities. Data from the Boston Public Health Commission reliably shows that areas like Roxbury have higher rates of heart disease, asthma, and diabetes, and lower life expectancy.
As recently as March 20, the City of Boston released the Boston Mental Health Report, which found that Black and Latino residents more frequently report experiencing symptoms of poor mental health. Black and Latino youth were found to have higher suicide attempt rates than white youth.
For Martin Cherry, this event is just the beginning, and all community organizations and families, including health care providers such as General Brigham and Boston Medical Center, as well as MassVOTE and the Urban League of Eastern Mass. It was a way to connect. Event.
Dr. Stephanie Pinder Amaker discusses “Young, Talented, Black, and Resilient.”Photo: Cheripic Photo
“All of these organizations are committed to providing access, not just on this day, but in all the work that these partners and organizations do every day,” Martin Cherry said. . “Yes, this day is a great opportunity to open our doors and provide these services and provide this information, but we also want to connect people and resources. It’s not just one day. there is no.”
Bodrick said Black family health initiatives are especially important post-COVID-19 after the pandemic exposed the disparities that exist in the health of families and communities.
“COVID-19 has made me realize what it means to see fractures in wholeness, especially as it relates to health and how it is so negatively impacting our communities.” “It really taught me a lot,” he said.
He said the event is also an important way to broadly support community health and is a natural fit for the church, which has a notable heritage as the “Church of Fugitive Slaves” and where Martin Luther King Jr. preached. He said that this is a continuation of his activities.
“[It’s about] Healing individuals, healing families, healing communities, and really thinking about how we can heal as a community if we’re all healthy individually and collectively,” Bodrick said.
Martin-Cherry pointed to Boston Medical Center’s work with Twelve Baptists to hold vaccine clinics during the pandemic, and said it is important to hold them in churches, especially those with significant community ties. said it was an obvious choice.
“The church is the gateway to the community and there is always a lot of trust there,” she said. “Especially at Twelfth Baptist, we have always served our community in that way for generations.”
The event, which took months to prepare, was a “labor of love,” Avalon said. Preparations included weekly conference calls and nightly conference calls, but she said she’s looking forward to tackling even larger meetings next year. The organization aims to hold this event every year.
Throughout the day, she said, she and other Lynx members were shaking hands and hugging attendees to let them know what the event meant to them.
“That’s when you know you’re doing the right thing when people leave with a smile on their face,” Avalon said.
