The Caridad Center’s 10th annual Family Festival, themed “Go Green” this year, will take place Saturday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Caridad’s office, located at 8645 W. Boynton Beach Blvd.
For the third year, the event will be the Diabetes Week kickoff event for the Palm Beach County Diabetes Coalition. This free, family-focused health fair is open to the public. Parking is free on site, and Palm Tran Bus Route 73 stops right in front of the center.
The Grainger Foundation is the event’s platinum sponsor.
Screening tests will be available at no cost, including cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, urinalysis, body mass index, HIV, oral and vision.
Those found to be at risk will be provided with a referral to their primary care physician and receive a personalized consultation with a healthcare professional. If they do not have insurance or a primary care physician, a list of free and low-cost clinics or programs will be made available to them. Caridad’s prevention, education and treatment staff will make follow-up calls to ensure that this group has access to treatment.
Health education will be available for oral, vision, breast care, diabetes, chronic diseases, nutrition, physical activity and HIV in order to provide awareness and prevention strategies.
Interactive activities will include dancing (including Zumba), SPARK activities (a physical education curriculum that is currently implemented in several Palm Beach County schools), fun competitions, tasty and healthful cooking demonstrations, face painting for children and a bounce house.
Community resource information will be provided by more than 40 organizations.
“We have a lot of people in our community who can’t afford medical care,” said Laura Kallus, executive director of the Caridad Center. “This family health event will enable them to get free medical and dental screenings and information to enable them to identify risk factors and prevent chronic diseases.”
The Caridad Center Family Festival is made possible through the support of the Grainger Foundation, Boca Raton Regional Hospital, the Florida Dental Association, the Florida Department of Health HIV Program, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the Health Resource Services Administration’s Healthy Tomorrows Program, the Jarden Consumer Solutions Community Fund, the Town of Palm Beach United Way, the United Way of Palm Beach County, Vitas Hospice, Azteca TV, ESPN Spanish Radio, the Florida Department of Health Closing the Gap Program and the Diabetes Coalition.
The Caridad Center is the largest free healthcare clinic operated through volunteer providers in Florida, serving the working poor and recently uninsured throughout Palm Beach County. More than 300 doctors, dentists and other medical professionals donate their time and provide services valued at more than $2.3 million a year. The Caridad Center provides more than 26,000 patient visits each year.
For more information, call (561) 737-6336 or visit www.caridad.org.
ABOVE: A Caridad volunteer teaches the correct way to brush teeth.
