Columbus Parks and Rec partners with Morehouse School of Medicine for wellness fair

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — Multiple institutions and community leaders have planned to come together on Saturday, Aug. 30 for the Health, Hope and Healing Wellness Fair.

The Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI) at Morehouse School of Medicine, local churches, the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department and the Pillars Initiative will be working together for the event.

Officials say the Health, Hope and Healing Wellness Fair is in honor of National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

During the event, local churches, non-profits and advocacy groups will provide onsite spiritual, physical and mental health resources and services. The services and resources include prayer, health screenings, at-home rapid HIV test kits and more. 

“Black people living in Georgia’s rural areas are more susceptible to communicable diseases than those in urban areas due to a lack of access to preventative education and adequate health care,” stated Maisha Standifer, PhD, Director of Population Health at SHLI. “At SHLI, we collaborate with churches and other groups to meet people where they are. Our community partnerships empower them with vital information and resources, allowing them to thrive.”

SHLI is co-hosting the wellness fair as part of its Georgia Thrives campaign.

The organization launched the campaign in 2023 in response to the increasing number of Georgia’s Black residents contracting HIV, especially Black women and Black people living in rural areas such as Columbus. The Health Equity Tracker reports that HIV prevalence among Black residents aged 13 and older living in Muscogee County, where Columbus is the county seat, is over 70%. 

The event will be from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Shirley Winston Recreation Center at 5025 Steam Mill Road, Columbus, Georgia, 31907. The wellness fair is free and open to the public.