Health Expo Educating PCCC Students by Jason S. Betancourt

The Paterson room was wide and vast as numerous adults and PCCC students were arriving, a wave of conversations heard throughout. There was both laughter and serious discussions, soundtracked by soft hip-hop music played lightly in the Paterson room.

There were 18 stands in the room, each representing a different health organization as they gave out packages and items to those who visited them.

The Health Expo event serves as a way to raise awareness for diseases: STIs, HPV, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, and many others to ensure everyone is given the facts about it and what equipped to prepare for them in case of infection.

On April 22, the Wellness Center, SSS-Steam, and Community Programs held their 3rd annual Health Expo from 10 am to 2 pm as they displayed health resources, crucial information, and educated students and adults alike.

Cesar Bramon from the Paterson Division of Health

Cesar Bramon works for the Paterson Division of Health, and his job is to ensure people are aware of other diseases that are not as well known as COVID-19. The Paterson Division of Health is even hosting a lead-free advocacy program for children on its website.

HPV is one of the very serious diseases, as some types of HPV can cause cancer of the cervix, vulva, throat, and more. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends vaccine shots be given to youth ages 9-26 while adults 27-46 should talk to their health care providers.

Syphilis is another infection to be aware of as it is a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD). Untreated people can get syphilis in their brain, spinal cord, or other parts of the body. Go to your health care provider for a syphilis test or special blood test.

Oasis Director of Community Outreach Jim Walsh is responsible for spreading awareness of the shelter. The organization is a haven for women and children that offers crisis intervention, agency referrals, food, clothing, and education. Oasis operates from 8:00 am – 3 pm as they are a non-profit group.

Additionally, they offer other resources such as online classes, GED Test Preparation, ServSafe Certification, English classes, Job Counseling, and Retail Internships. All Oasis classes are free and can be taken while your child is in their daycare. See details on oasisnj.org!

Oasis even gives women and children a hot healthy meal from their soup kitchen for daily breakfast and lunch times. Oasis provides 3-day food supplies to families of four that may face a crisis, while also distributing diapers and baby formula for infants and toddlers.

Representatives from Oasis: A Haven for Women and Children

Planned Parenthood, founded by Margaret Sanger in 1916, is a non-profit organization that provides health care services, a patient portal, free birth control if qualified, and overall offers sexual & reproductive health education that is medically accurate and age-appropriate.

STIs (STDs) can be transmitted from fluids (secretions, semen, etc.) skin to skin contact, blood, or even kissing. STIs are extremely common among sexually active people before turning 25 years old. Bacterial STIs can be treated with antibiotics while viral STIs require antiviral medications.

There are 20 separate ways and types of birth control and pregnancy prevention that every woman should be aware of. Barrier methods include cervical caps, sponges, and external/internal condoms while hormonal methods include patches, shots, and pills.

The Health Coalition of Passaic County, founded by the Nicholson Foundation, provides health equity in communities and connection with health workers, healthcare systems, state programs, and more. It is useful to book online appointments with doctors they recommend.

CUMAC is a non-profit organization founded by Hugh Dunlop. They give support and free food to families of 4 or to others who do not have access to healthy foods due to price increases or supermarkets being far away, thus becoming a large, informed marketplace.

Foods can be scarce due to climate change, increasing population, wildfires, heatwaves, and tons more that contribute to this issue. Donating food to your local food bank or even growing your own and giving it to your local community can make an impact on someone’s life.

CUMAC even lets people sign up on their website to volunteer, ensuring each donated food box is healthy and good to eat with CUMAC’s team of workers before they display each nutritious and delicious food onto their marketplace that any family or person can choose from.

As Desmond Tutu, South African bishop and theologian, had once said in his lifetime “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”