The Fayetteville Area Section, National Council of Negro Women Inc (FAS NCNW) presents the Healthy Hearts and Healing Hands Community Health Fair on Feb. 15 at the North Regional Public Library on 855 McArthur Road. The Community Health Fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Healthy Hearts and Healing Hands Community Health Fair will feature comprehensive screening in the areas of dental, vision, body mass index, cholesterol, blood pressure, women’s health, sickle cell and medical weight loss. Line Dancing and Zumba will be featured to promote physical health.
Allied health services include health insurance, life insurance, women’s health resources, Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Drive, and a vaccination clinic. General admission is free to the public. For more information and vendor participation opportunities contact Shamarria Foy-Morrison, Health Equity Chair, Fayetteville Area Section, National Council of Negro Women via email sjfoy88@gmail.com or call 910-644-4531.
The Fayetteville Area Section, National Council of Negro Women’s mission is “to advance opportunities and the quality of life for African American women, their families, and communities.”
The Fayetteville Area Section, National Council of Negro Women was chartered in 1996. Mary McLeod Bethune was the founder of the National Council of Negro Women in 1935. One of her founding principles was “the need for a united organization of women to open doors for young women."
Foy-Morrison shared her perspective on the Healthy Hearts and Healing Hands, Community Health Fair.
“The goal of the FAS, NCNW, is to lead, empower and advocate for African American women and their communities. Through the leadership of our Chapter President, Margie McLean, we coordinated the Community Health Fair to bring awareness to health disparities that affect our communities,” she said. “The inspiration for the Community Health Fair was to spread awareness of the importance of preventive care of illness through vaccinations. The Health Fair will also have other awareness topics to include women’s health, dental screening, blood pressure checks, life and health insurance, hands-on CPR, and Stop the Bleed (education on assisting with bleeding emergencies before medical help arrives). We will have a Blood Drive through the Cape Fear Valley Hospital system. This will be an impressive event.”
The community health fair will be held at the North Regional Public Library. The Cumberland County Public Library system has a larger community function than library cards and books.
“The mission of the Cumberland Public Library is to support, empower, and engage our diverse community. Promoting the health and wellness of our community is a central focus that aligns seamlessly with this mission,” said Gracey Gordon, Branch Manager, North Regional Library. “As vital hubs of information and resources, public libraries are uniquely positioned to serve the health needs of the community.”
CCPL also provides access to essential health resources, whether through educational events, specialized programs, free access to databases or offering a welcoming space for social connection and support.
“While book services remain a fundamental aspect of public libraries, our offering extends beyond that, continuously evolving to meet the diverse needs of the community. Our Digital Navigators offer Tech Time classes to assist individuals with navigating digital devices and applications. We provide free access to a wide range of databases, covering topics from product reviews and health to career development,” said Gordon.
CCPL also features a dedicated Local and State History Department, which houses an extensive collection of materials documenting the history of North Carolina and Cumberland County. Genealogy Research Assistance and services, and digitization services for media such as tapes, VHS, and photo negatives are available to the public. The Sensory Calming room at the Headquarters provides a multi-sensory experience for relaxation and well-being. CCPL has hosted over 2000 programs and events targeting the community population in the past year.