On a Saturday in late June, Perth Amboy residents flooded Market Street in front of Iglesia Ciudad de Refugio, a local church. They came for free health services, such as blood pressure, diabetes, and body mass index screenings. Many also received COVID-19 vaccines, as well as referrals and education on several other health topics. Some of the foot traffic was from the food pantry next door, which had helped spread the word among its clients.
Rutgers medical students from the community service organization North American Disease Intervention (NADI) were providing the on-site screenings as part of a health fair organized by Rutgers Global Health Institute in collaboration with multiple local partners. “Easily, 150 people came to the health fair. The NADI volunteers didn’t even get a chance to sit because people kept coming to their table,” says Arpita Jindani, manager of education and training at Rutgers Global Health Institute. “People wanted to know what they should do about their health, how should they lower their blood pressure—basic preventive stuff they didn’t have access to.” To read the full story.