Johnston County Deltas Team Up For Health

The Delta Sigma Theta Johnston County Alumnae Chapter hosted its first community health fair in Selma on Saturday, May 30, at the Richard B. Harrison Alumni building.

Laveshia Johnson, chapter physical and mental health co-chair, said it is the first time another organization, the Richard B. Harrison Alumni Association, partnered with Delta Sigma Theta’s 4-year-old event.

About 75 people attended, and 15 health organizations were on-site to educate visitors about a variety of health issues.

“It is one of the activities we host to make the community aware of health disparities and diseases prevalent in the African American community,” said Chapter President Shirley Bell, of Clayton.

According to Bell, 20 chapter members out of 74 volunteered at the health fair from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

The health representatives who attended included employees from: Rite Aid Pharmacy, in Smithfield; Johnston County Mental Health Center, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences from the UNC-Chapel Hill,
Community Based Education Learning Alternative Center, in Smithfield and Cohen and Woods dentistry, in Smithfield.

“It lets the community know what services are out there for them,” Bell said.
Johnson, a native of Johnston County who now resides in Raleigh, said the Alternative Center was there to educate visitors about AIDS, and the mental health center gave information about behavioral health, including depression.

The National Institute, represented by Bob O’Brien, clinical research assistant, recruited health fair goers to donate blood for research. In exchange for donating, each person received a check for $20.

O’Brien said the institute is performing a research study to discover what diseases a person might be predisposed to and how the genes respond to the environment. He added the study also researches strengths in genes and how those also respond to environmental factors.

Nationally, he said, the study aims to include 20,000 subjects. By 1 p.m. Saturday, O’Brien had about 35 participants donate blood.

Delta Sigma Theta, according to Bell, also made an effort to educate visitors, especially children, about finances.

The State Employees’ Credit Union, in Clayton, was represented by its children’s, ages 12 and under, mascot, “Fat Cat.” With the mascot, Bell said one of the sorority alumnae chapter’s important goals is teaching children from a young age the value of saving money. The Credit Union has a children’s savings account, she added.

Overall, Johnson said, the health fair was a success largely because it was in the heart of a Johnston County community, Selma.

At last year’s fair, she said it was hosted at the Johnston Agricultural Center, in Smithfield.

However, according Johnston, there weren’t as many people as there had been in 2006 and 2007 when the chapter had the health fair at the Johnston Medical Mall, because the agricultural center was out of the main part of Smithfield.

Johnson said more people typically come when an event is close to or in the center of a town.

For more information about events the chapter hosts and volunteers for, visit www.johnston countydeltas.com.

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