Paint and Sparkle events now include complimentary healthy produce
The Paint and Sparkle events, sponsored by United Health Centers of Winston-Salem, include health and food resources for its participants.
“I feel as though I am a natural helper and I love to connect people to resources they might not have known about in hopes of helping people be healthy,” shared Felecia Bennett-Giles, senior civic and community engagement specialist with United Health Centers in Winston-Salem.
United Health Centers of Winston-Salem is the only federally qualified health center in Winston-Salem and provides primary care to its patients. During exams, providers conduct food security screenings to increase access to healthy foods. Nurses and providers ask patients if they are safe and have food at home during their food security screening process.
Now, with the help of a recent community health mini-grant from the American Heart Association and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, United Health Centers intend to further expand their community outreach through events such as Paint and Sparkle.
“Paint and Sparkle is an event where people from the community can paint and drink sparkling juice in a fun, welcoming environment, where they also learn about services provided by United Health Centers and resources available to them,” said Felecia. “This mini-grant is allowing us to stretch our reach throughout the community. With this new opportunity, we will now be able to work with local farmers through Harvest Share Market to provide fresh produce in healthy food baskets to Paint and Sparkle participants.”
United Health Centers are focused on providing quality healthcare, reducing health disparities, and helping people be more conscious about their body. “I want to help individuals learn what it feels like to be healthy and help them better understand their health,” said Felecia.
In her role, Felecia goes to minority populations on behalf of United Health Centers and helps people see that there are resources available.
“I meet a lot of people who go to the emergency room for their primary care visits, which is a prime example of individuals not knowing the resources that they have in terms of healthcare,” said Felecia. United Health Centers have three locations where they serve patients with and without insurance. They also offer medical, dental, and behavioral health services within the Winston-Salem community, and are soon opening a pharmacy.
“Our goal is to become a one-stop shop so that people can have access to multiple resources under one roof. We meet people where they are, offer them what they need, and make sure that it is affordable,” she shared.
