The second annual River District Health Fair was held in Sacramento last week. It provided free testing, showers, employment and housing assistance, and connections to health care services to unhoused residents in the Sacramento area north of downtown.
Tikia Morgan, 24, of Sacramento, who is expecting her second child in a few months, said medical care will be critical to her growing family.
Morgan, who lives in a local shelter, said registering for coverage can be complicated, but being able to speak directly to health care providers at the event made a big difference.
“It can be frustrating. I've tried going to Wellspace and researching it myself, but it's very confusing,” she said. “It was so easy to see all the tents lined up. You can walk up to them and ask them questions. You don't have to give them all the information. I just already know that.”
The event offered everything from free sexually transmitted disease testing to blood pressure checks and immunizations. Assistance was also provided to unhoused residents with pets.
Charles French, whose Chihuahua puppy Chewie was vaccinated at the event, said he would like to see more services support Sacramento's unhoused community.
“We need to create more places to plug in and charge phones and more showers to give people a chance to get back on their feet,” he added.
Charles French got his Chihuahua puppy, Chewie, vaccinated at a health fair. He said he would like to see more events and services to help unhoused communities in Sacramento.Chris Nichols/CapRadio
Joseph Pacheco is chief operating officer of First Step Communities, a nonprofit organization that helped organize the event.
He said the event aimed to break down barriers to medical services for people who have difficulty accessing treatment.
“They often don't have phones and don't have access to the internet. They sometimes rely solely on word-of-mouth information, which is not always accurate,” he said. “This gives people the opportunity to directly access resources, make connections, and in some cases even schedule an appointment to receive services scheduled right now.”
First Step Communities also operates the North A Street homeless shelter in the River District.
Contact CapRadio News Reporter Chris Nichols. [email protected]
Thanks to you, CapRadio provides a trusted news source. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you help sustain our journalism and help us discover the stories that matter to our viewers. If you believe in our work and support our mission, Please donate today.
