Reach Church community health fair helping residents stay updated on opportunities
Published 12:10 am Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Eric Sutton (left), co-founder of Metabolic Life Centers, speaks with Jim Barrett (right) at the community health fair in China Grove. Brad Dountz/Salisbury Post.
Gate Pregnancy Resource Center had diagrams at the fair showing how a fetus matures over time. Brad Dountz/Salisbury Post.
Erin Barrett (left) and Cindy Barrett (right) of Stress Medic, offer an alternative way to treat muscle pain. Brad Dountz/Salisbury Post.
The community health fair hosted all kinds of organizations in China Grove to make people more aware of the resources that they can easily access. Brad Dountz/Salisbury Post.
These koozies show 9-8-8 as the new suicide and mental health crisis lifeline. Brad Dountz/Salisbury Post.
CHINA GROVE — For the first time, the Reach Church sponsored a community health fair on Feb. 17 that let residents stop by 320 North in China Grove to learn about organizations and treatment options for any physical or mental conditions they may have.
Several vendors had representatives there to speak on the work they do in the healthcare industry. Novant Health, Gate Pregnancy Resource Center and Angels at Heart Assisted Living were just a few of the local institutions in attendance.
Kristen Estepp, the project director with YSUP Rowan, was handing out koozies to spread awareness on what can be done if someone is struggling with suicidal thoughts.
“9-8-8 is the new suicide and mental health crisis lifeline,” Estepp said. “Instead of a very long 1-800 number that was the national suicide line in the past, it’s now been condensed to 9-8-8, so people can text, call or chat. It’s a lot more accessible.”
The fair had numerous choices for people seeking guidance on what type regimen is right for them. Metabolic Life Centers is a facility that just opened in Salisbury and it stands out by concentrating on insulin resistance to manage diabetes.
“Our whole focus is on treating diabetes from the root cause,” Eric Sutton, co-founder of Metabolic Life Centers said. “Typically, we focus on using IV hydration and IV process, so we’ll do an infusion. The best thing I can share with people is it’s kind of like a dialysis center.”
Sutton believes having these fairs available to the public creates avenues for real societal change to occur.
“We have to come together as a community. If we’re going to tackle the problems we face in the world, it really needs to start at the community level,” Sutton said.
Cindy Barrett is a massage and bodywork therapist with Stress Medic, a company based out of Concord that works towards mitigating pain through massages.
“We’re all about medical massages. It’s about chasing pain syndromes and soft-tissue dysfunction in the body and fixing it so you don’t have pain,” Barrett said.
Barrett appreciates the “education, knowledge and outreach” this fair allows them to and how they can meet like-minded entities working in the same field.
“I’m forming networks with a lot of other organizations that I never knew existed,” Barrett said.
Connie Angle’s daughter was the one who told her about the fair and she values how many courses she can take when it comes to her well-being. While at the fair, Angle said each one of the organizations stood out to her.
“I enjoyed everything,” Angle said. “All of them really helped a lot. It helped me with my health issues, too,” Angle said.
