Family Health Fair Dispenses Information

Area residents were drawn to the free Family Health Fair at Project Self-Sufficiency on Thursday to take advantage of free health care screenings, mammograms, immunizations and other services.  Local health care organizations were on hand to distribute up-to-date information about everything from HIV/AIDS prevention to instructions about breast self-exams.  The annual Health Fair serves as Project Self-Sufficiency’s kick off for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the campus was festooned with pink ribbons and placards about early detection techniques. 

“Project Self-Sufficiency has been proud to offer the free Family Health Fair in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month for years,” noted Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency.  “Thanks to the support of the Komen for the Cure®North Jersey Affiliate, we are able to offer free mammograms several times a year, but this is the only time that we are also able to provide free health care services for the entire family.  There is something here for everyone, and it’s never too early or too late to start taking care of your own health.”

Attendees picked up health care tips from representatives from the American Red Cross; DASI; Family Partners of Morris and Sussex Counties; National Alliance on Mental Illness; Neighborhood Health Center; Newton Medical Center; Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey; Planned Parenthood of Central and Greater Northern New Jersey; Special Child Health Services; Sunrise House; Sussex County Department of Environmental and Public Health Services, Chronic Disease Coalition; Sussex County Department of Environmental and Public Health Services, Office of Public Health Nursing; Sussex County YMCA; Sussex Highlands League of Women Voters; Sussex Warren Chronic Disease Coalition; Total Hearing Care; TransOptions; and the United Way of Northern New Jersey Caregivers Coalition. 

In addition to free mammograms for women over the age of 40, the event featured screenings for blood pressure, hearing, blood/glucose and oral cancer; workshops, children’s activities, and screenings for eligibility for early intervention services.  All services were available free of charge. 

Project Self-Sufficiency is a private non-profit community-based organization dedicated to improving the lives of low-income families residing in northwestern New Jersey.  The agency’s mission is to provide a broad spectrum of holistic, respectful, and comprehensive services enabling low-income single parents, teen parents, two-parent families, and displaced homemakers to improve their lives and the lives of their children while achieving personal and economic self-sufficiency and family stability.  Since 1986 Project Self-Sufficiency has served more than 19,500 families, including over 30,000 children.

To find out more about the programs and services available at Project Self-Sufficiency, visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org or call 973-940-3500.