Many North Hudson residents took advantage of the free health screenings and other information provided at the North Hudson Community Action Corporation (NHCAC) Head Start Program health fair on May 2 at the recreation center on 57th Street and Broadway in West New York.
“We want to make sure that all of the families in the program know about the resources in the community before leaving the Head Start program,” said NHCAC Head Start Program Health Director Sherry Williams last week.
The Head Start program and the Early Head Start program provide all-day care and education for low-income children while their parents work. The purpose of the fair was to supplement that program with health screenings for both parents and children.
“At North Hudson Community Action Corporation, our strength is not only in our programs, but in our follow up,” said President and CEO Michael Leggiero. “After our families receive the care they need, we then place the focus on preparing them for the next step of the journey. In this way, we build long term wellness and a healthy and prosperous community.”
Palisade General Hospital in North Bergen, Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus, the Commission for the Blind, the West New York Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, Hispanic Women’s Resources and Hudson County Welfare were just some of the community agencies taking part in the fair.
“This is also a chance to collaborate with other agencies in the community,” said Sherry Williams.
While the Head Start program was the primary sponsor of the health fair, NHCAC also had representatives from their Alcohol Abuse center, their dental program and their Women Infants and Children (WIC) program handing out information and applications at the fair.
“There is a lot of good information here,” said Sadiya Mustafa, a North Bergen resident who attended the fair with her two daughters, who are enrolled in NHCAC’s Head Start program.
Parents attending the fair with their children were also able to keep their children entertained while gaining health information.
Face painting, storybook readings and other activities abounded.
Starting off right
The Early Head Start Program is set up for infants and toddlers up to age 3, and the Head Start Program services children from 3 to 5 years old. There are classes running from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Besides general education for kids, the program provides mental health, nutrition, social services, and other programs.
The Early Head Start Program is a new program for North Hudson Community Action Corporation and already has 50 infants and toddlers registered.
At the fair, Palisades General Hospital provided free blood sugar and blood pressure screenings while the Commission for the Blood was providing free vision tests.
“I have to get my eyes and my blood pressure checked today,” said West New York resident Dora Scorza, who was finishing up her eye exam. “Everyone here is treating me so nice.”
Mustafa and her family took advantage of the diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol screenings provided by NHCAC’s mobile health center in the recreation center parking lot.
For more information on NHCAC’s programs, call 866-9320. For information on Head Start, call 617-1445 or 863-7511.