Lack of health insurance, health services and health education are just a few of the many issues that are not uncommon for Texas A&M support staff; but one Aggie-led nonprofit organization is looking to change this.
The REACH Family Health Fair, hosted by the REACH Project, will kick off on Sept. 28 at 9 a.m. and will end at 1 p.m. at A&M’s Leach Teaching Gardens. This health fair will introduce the REACH Health Initiative, a branch of the project that will focus on providing health resources for the A&M support staff.
“This is our first health fair, and we plan on hosting one a semester,” said REACH Project CEO Max Gerall, Class of 2018. “We are going to be hosting what we are considering a holistic health fair, so we will be providing health services and also health education.”
This free community event is catered to not only those who work on the A&M campus, but their friends, families and neighbors as well.
“We are really excited,” Gerall said. “This event is open to everyone — we are not turning anyone away. Although the focus of our effort lies with the support staff, we are more than happy to provide these opportunities to students in need as well.”
Health education in dental hygiene, healthy eating and building a first aid kit will be offered at the health fair along with free health services like cancer pre-screenings, BMI calculation and blood glucose level testing. REACH leaders believe that providing these healthcare resources to the A&M support staff will not only benefit them but in turn will help them better serve the university, which will benefit students and faculty as well.
“We wouldn’t be able to attend school without the people we are trying to help with this health fair,” agriculture economics junior and REACH marketing director Jake Renfro said. “In a lot of cases these people have not seen a doctor in years so we are looking forward to providing them the care that they need.”
Like other REACH programs, the family health fair offers students from a variety of majors the chance to unite the Texas A&M community through a variety of service opportunities.
“We are working with students from all over A&M,” Gerall said. “Health services will be provided by the nursing and pharmacy students, and the health education will be provided by the school of public health volunteers, but there is non-technical work for general volunteers as well.”
Partnerships with organizations like the Brazos County Health Initiative, Ronin Farms, American Alliance Health Services and the Brazos Valley Food Bank allow the REACH Project to host this event and provide these health services at no cost.
“For the end-user it will be completely free of charge,” Gerall said. “We will have free parking, free health services, free snacks and drinks and much more all thanks to our partners and donors.”
For more information on the REACH Family Health Fair follow REACH Project on Facebook or email [email protected].