The Northern Indiana Hispanic Health Coalition (NIHHC), in partnership with Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, Bowen Center and the Indiana Department of Health, will provide free health screenings and flu shots at We Care Warsaw on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 2 to 5:30 p.m. at Gordon Health & Wellness Center, 100 Publishers Drive, Winona Lake (Grace College field house next to the Winona Lake Fire Station).
The following services will be offered: cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, BMI and flu shots.
Everyone is welcome. No documents are required, and no appointment is necessary. Participants will receive their health screening results immediately. Community members may call at 574-206-3938 for more information.
We Care Warsaw is a free community resource event coordinated by Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, mobilizing over 350 volunteers from the church who serve throughout the day along with up to 25 community organizations who partner together to meet the needs of those in need.
Other community resources available include a complimentary hot full-course dinner, one bag of groceries per family, manicures, haircuts, family pictures, Christmas cookie decorating, free drawings and more.
To help address transportation needs, NIHHC will distribute a $15 gas gift card to all those who receive a flu shot. Community members will also receive education on their health screening results. NIHHC’s bilingual trained volunteers and staff, including certified community health workers, will be available to help community members understand their results and determine next steps.
NIHHC Executive Director Liliana Quintero stressed the importance of maintaining preventative health screenings.
“They can help identify health conditions before there are symptoms, potentially making them easier to treat,” she said. “That may prevent severe disease and high costs down the road.”
NIHHC invites community members to get essential health screenings, as well as their annual flu shot, so they are protected and ready for the fall and winter. Quintero said the flu virtually disappeared for two years as the pandemic raged, but influenza appears poised to stage a comeback this year in the U.S., threatening to cause severe illness and hospitalization.
“The flu shot is also critical to prevention,” said Quintero. “Don’t delay!”
NIHHC provides accessible, convenient, bilingual and culturally sensitive services to meet the unique needs of those facing barriers to healthcare. Through such services and education, community members are empowered to make informed decisions about their health. Partnerships with community organizations and agencies, health care providers, leaders and messengers help them reach the community.
“We are grateful to be working side-by-side with the organizations at We Care Warsaw, who have the same mission in mind — to improve the quality of life of Kosciusko County residents,” said Quintero.
The Northern Indiana Hispanic Health Coalition’s mission is to provide preventative health care programs to the communities of Elkhart, Kosciusko, Noble and Marshall counties through education, advocacy, physician referral and research, so that they may lead healthier lifestyles.
