OSSINING, NY — Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church and Open Door Family Center are joining forces to hold an outdoor health fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
The free event will include coronavirus testing and rapid HIV testing, plus giveaways, including face masks and educational materials. Health experts will be on hand to talk about COVID-19 and protecting families.
“In light of how the virus has disproportionally affected people of color, I thought it was important for our congregants and others in the community to get tested and know of their status and how to protect themselves and their families,” said The Reverend Shaun Ellison Jones, senior pastor of Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church. “I know Open Door has been conducting testing at their sites for some time, but this will be the first large-scale community testing site from Sleepy Hollow to Cortlandt that I am aware of.”
There will be opportunities for attendees to make appointments for additional services, to be linked up with other resources, and to register for antibody testing at Open Door’s Ossining site.
“We’ve done COVID-19 testing at our sites since March, but this is an opportunity to move the testing into the community,” said Andrea Ruggiero, Vice President, Community Health at Open Door. “We also will have our experts there to provide answers to any questions people may have about COVID-19, and how best to care for themselves and their families.”
Volunteer nurses from the church will participate, along with Open Door providers, to ensure that masks are available and safety protocols maintained.
“Open Door has always been a viable resource for our community, providing exceptional service for those who may not have access to insurance or health care, which is a human right,” Rev. Jones said.
To pre-register for the Community Health Fair call either 914-620-9641 or go online to www.starbethbc.org. Walk-ins will be accommodated with COVID testing, based on availability.
The fair will be held in the church’s parking lot at 304 Spring St.
This article originally appeared on the Ossining-Croton-On-Hudson Patch
