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Posted: Wednesday,
September 29, 2010
Nancy Conrad
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You couldn't have asked
for a better day or a better Health Festival!
Upham's
Corner Health Center has held over 25 free health events in
their
37 year history. This year's was held at the Strand
Theater on
September 25, 2010, 11 AM to 2 PM.
Tables lined both sides of
the
main hall with many health organizations offering help and free
literature of all sorts: health insurance plans, osteoporosis,
Alzheimer's, The Food Project, a well-baby program, smoking cessation,
good eating habits, nature programs, and all about the Asian longhorn beetles.
They also had available for snacking: free ice cream, popcorn and platters of delicious health-food.
The
Strand Theater dramatically enhanced the overall feeling of the
event. The mirrored walls and the lighting of the
great hall
created a special ambience as if we were visiting royalty.
And
everyone was so friendly and helpful.
See Photos of the Health Festival. |
 Carrying out the theme
of "festival" were balloons, lots of joyful talking and
laughing and an incredible clown.
Erin,
the clown, works for Upham's Corner Health Center. We caught
her
unawares as she was donning her clown costume. After getting
dressed, she danced in the street and called out to the crowds,
inviting them to "come on in."
See more Photos of Erin the Clown.
See Photos of Festival Faces
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Next door to the Strand
was the flu clinic.
It didn't take long to fill out the questionnaire, and you could eat
your (free) ice cream while doing so. 
After a short wait, a
friendly nursing student delivered "the goods" -- a "pinch", as he
described it, an injection of the flu vaccine liquid into your
arm. "Am I bleeding profusely?" I asked him
laughing.
"No," he said, "just one drop of blood."
UCHC is committed to
supporting our Upham's Corner community. We note that the
Health
Festival was free. You didn't have to show your health card
or
your wallet or your proof of poverty or riches. Everyone was
invited, and we all had a great time.
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UCHC is a comprehensive
health and social service
agency, owned and operated by the Upham’s Corner Health Committee,
Inc., a community controlled non-profit, 501 (c)(3) corporation.
Since
opening its doors in 1973, the health center’s mission has been to
provide comprehensive, culturally competent, community-based health and
social services. UCHC works at maintaining and improving the
health and well-being of residents of North Dorchester, a neighborhood
of Boston, Massachusetts.
In 2009, the Upham’s Corner
Health Center had close to a quarter million patient visits.
A
total of 60% of the patients seen by UCHC live below the poverty level.
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