NAACP Charleston hosts second annual health fair for community members

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The NAACP Charleston Branch held its second annual health fair.

The organization gave community members an opportunity to check in on their wellness by offering free screenings, entertainment, and expert advice. Officials said they are trying to provide access to medical resources for people of all ages.

“We wanted to share what the community needs – we need to have more health activities going on. Mind, body, and soul. That’s why the library is here to give out books for our children that need to be reading,” Dorothy Jenkins, president of NAACP Charleston, said.

The NAACP was able to acquire more vendors like Roper St. Francis this year, but among those were also educational vendors. The founder of the “Black Footprints: Past and Present” took her project, and showed an array of inventions made by African Americans that improved the health industry. She hoped visitors would take away a message from her booth.

“Gee, I didn’t know all that these products that I’ve been using all of my life were actually invented by Africans Americans, and they are for such wonderful cause,” Mattie Sanders, a vendor, said.

Jenkins added that she hoped community members would walk away knowing that their health is a priority.

“We’ve added Roper St. Francis, having the Red Cross here, we’ve had Palmetto Project that’s giving away free book so we can increase the reading that helps the mindset for our young people,” Jenkins said.

The NAACP plans to host the health fair around the same time next year in May.