Community Health Fair Set In Cathedral City

CATHEDRAL CITY — If you’ve ever daydreamed of a free massage while your children get  their faces painted, the Dream Homes Community Health Workers are giving you the opportunity.

Mark your calendars now for May 20. Between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., you and your family can get a jump-start on some of your health needs.

The Community Engagement Health Fair will be held at the Agua Caliente Elementary School, 30800 San Luis Rey Drive in Cathedral City. It’s all free.

The fair will include blood pressure screening, dental checkups, cholesterol testing, massage therapy and more.

There will also be prizes, children’s activities, face painting, slime making and more.

One of the primary reasons to host a community health fair is to help residents be healthier by seeking to engage the public — parents and children alike —in conversation about common health issues and concerns.

Healthcare can sometimes be confusing, even scary. By engaging in a community fair in a common gathering place, everyone is in it together. Health fairs are a great place to get questions answered without the fear or intimidation of a physician’s office.

Some very simple screenings such as blood pressure checks, glucose and cholesterol blood tests can provide both positive feedback and identify at risk individuals.

Latinos living in the United States account for one-third of the uninsured population and face numerous cultural, linguistic, and financial barriers to accessing health care services. Community fairs have developed to address the unmet need for no- and low-cost services that target prevention and education among under-served communities, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.