Article written by Urban Alliance staff. Photos by Urban Alliance staff and volunteers.
On the sunshine-filled morning of Saturday, May 18, more than 150 volunteers from eleven churches and organizations who are a part of the Urban Alliance network set out to distribute thousands of packets of information about free and low-cost health services to Hartford residents in a door-to-door effort to address health needs in Hartford.
During the outreach, volunteers also prayed with residents who expressed a need for prayer, including one woman who had lost her son in a motorcycle accident and who, during the previous Revitalize Community Health Outreach in 2012, had the chance to speak with volunteers from Calvary Church of West Hartford.
Pastor Frank Termine described how their volunteer team happened to knock on her door again this year:
“Sure enough, the third house we went to was this same woman’s house. We mentioned our church and then…two and two were put together…and after with sharing with her, talking with her, listening to her and praying with her, she had a big smile on her face.”
Revitalize is an opportunity for local churches and organizations to work together to serve the community by increasing awareness of available health services, increasing access to quality health resources and encouraging preventative health. This initiative has been implemented by more than 14 churches and organizations since 2011 and has engaged over 6,500 households.
The annual outreach is one of the three main strategies for Revitalize, an initiative of the Urban Alliance network, to address health needs in Hartford.
Another strategy is to increase awareness through RevitalizeHartford.com, a website that provides information about ongoing free and low-cost health services, special events related to health and resources that encourages healthy living and the prevention of illness. The third strategy is to encourage wellness through prevention, which currently includes a partnership with the North End Farmers Market.
Want to Get Involved?
There’s no need to wait until next year’s Revitalize Community Health Outreach Day to help make a positive impact on our local community!
This summer, Revitalize is partnering with the North End Farmers Market to promote healthy eating and nutrition by encouraging Hartford residents to utilize the market, where quality, locally-grown produce is readily available.
We are currently recruiting volunteers to help at the farmers market by:
- Distributing free Revitalize canvas bags that include health resources and vouchers for free market produce.
- Facilitating fun, family-friendly games
The dates of the farmers market are July 3, July 10, July 17 and July 24 from 9:30 am-1:30 pm, and we are matching volunteers based on availability and interest. If you’d like to volunteer or learn more, please contact Marika Stewart at marika@urbanalliance.com.
Thank you to all of the many volunteers who made the 2013 Revitalize Community Health Outreach Day a success!
