Community health fair set Saturday at MLK Center
By Melanie Tuckerof The Daily Times Staff
Originally published: November 05. 2009 3:01AM
Last modified: November 04. 2009 10:49PM
Hall, Oldfield, Maryville Empowerment Inc. is inviting the community to a free health fair this weekend.
It will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Alcoa. Participants will include Blount Memorial Hospital, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Helen Ross McNabb Center, Liberty Assisted Living of Maryville and TenderCare. There will be private HIV/AIDS testing, heart and vascular testing, information on diabetes and controlling the disease, blood pressure checks along with important tips on how to reduce your chances of getting the H1N1 flu.
The Rev. Dr. Richard Gadzekpo, a member of HOME Inc. said this is a great opportunity for members of the community, young and old, to come get checked out and learn more about flu prevention. He and Sissy Ferguson, director of the MLK Center in Alcoa and Judy Knight, president of HOME, have been busy over the last few weeks organizing the event.
Gadzekpo is pastor at Mt. Pleasant AME Zion Church in Rockford and organized a similar health fair at his church in February as part of Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS. As a native of Ghana, West Africa, Gadzekpo has seen the tragedies of AIDS take a huge toll. He has become passionate about testing and treatment.
HOME involves itself in many community causes. It is a nonprofit faith-based organization that places emphasis on the revitalization of the Hall, Oldfield and Maryville communities. It was formerly known as the Hall Oldfield Community Group, which began in 1986. Among the issues it focuses in are adequate housing, adult training for employment, political literacy and safe neighborhoods.
The organization has collaborated with several others in the community on various projects, such as Blount County Parks and Recreation, United Way of Blount County, the Blount County Community Action Agency, WorldChangers and African Americans of Appalachia and Blount County.
HOME meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month in various locations in the community.
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