By Dianne Anderson

As health care dwindled, the big disconnect over the years has been lack of access to services, with about 20 percent of African Americans nationwide not covered by health insurance.

On Saturday, September 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., several health agencies and social  providers will come together to help fill that void at Faith Fellowship Bible Church Health Educational Health and Wellness Fair in Corona.

There, the community will get linked to dozens of resources, help with information on heart and cancer health, along with free blood pressure, diabetes, and eye screening.

Shirley Houston, a community advocate, has worked for months on getting everyone connected to the event. She said that Blacks suffer such a high level of diabetes and blood pressure, and there's no such thing as too much information when it comes to health.

“This is to educate them, and it requires checking their health on a regular basis,” she said. “And I know that we as Black people don’t go the doctor the way that we should.”

Among those attending are the Department of Aging and Adult Services with information on programs available to seniors, and the American Heart Association. The American Cancer Society will discuss early cancer screening for breast and prostate cancer, and provide follow up because so many people tend to put off screening until their cancer has reached a critical stage.

“This is the very first health fair and we intend to have one every year. The community needs to be educated, they need to know what’s available for them,” she said. “A lot of people don't know.”

She said that she’s still getting several providers out for the event, and welcomes information on AIDS awareness and nonprofit health vendors organizations that may be interested in disseminating information about free services to the community.

Pepi Jackson, on the committee for special projects at the church, said that the Department of Social Service representatives will also be on site to discuss resources for kinship care and in-home services for the elderly.

“They’re going to be talking about the challenge of taking care of someone that may have dementia, or is invalid or bedridden,” he said.

The utilities commission will also be there talking about the state’s Lifeline program, and how low income families can get assistance with their electric bills.

“The folks that need help with their utility bills are normally the elderly, the low income folks. These are the same people where their health is a big concern. They normally don’t get the necessary pre-screening as they should.”

Jackson expects the fair will bring out about 200 in attendance. The goal is also to try to open up the process for seniors, who may want to handle things on their own, but mostly out of fear,

Information is important especially for the elderly, who may not want to contact people that they don’t know.

“With an elderly person, when people start asking questions, they’re afraid someone make take the information and misuse it,” he said.

The church will also be assessing the local need for food with the holiday season again not very far away, he said.

“What we're trying to do through registration is stay in touch with the folks who come out for the health fair and then we’ll stay in contact with them,” he said.

The Corona Fire Department will keep health information on hand with “vials of life,” that will keep track of seniors’ medical conditions. If there’s a call for help, they will be prepared with information about allergies, or medical conditions, to treat them properly.

Jackson said that they are promoting the event to area churches, senior housing, mobile parks and care facilities.

“It’s going to be a mixture of young and old. We’re trying to have something for everybody,” he said.

For more information, call 951.808.1803