Food ministry expands offerings to health care, diabetes management
Washington Outreach Ministry has become well known in its community for its food bank, which feeds an estimated 2,500 people each month.
On Friday, the ministry launched an earnest attempt to meet another urgent need in the community.
Alongside its regular food distribution center, Washington Outreach Ministry hosted its first health fair at its property on Capernium Road in Cherryville.
"We feel like there is this untapped group of people who do need medical care but have not been able to go to the doctor because they can't afford it or they don't have insurance," said Frances Webber, executive director of Washington Outreach Ministry.
The fair brought representatives from multiple health care agencies to the food distribution center to speak to families about elder care and options for people with Medicare and Medicaid.
The health fair was also the public's first look at a program run by Washington Outreach Ministries to help manage and treat diabetes. The ministry's Diabetes Education Management and Control is a free 16-week course which aims to help people better understand what diabetes is, how to live with it and how to properly manage it once diagnosed.
Washington Outreach Ministries debuted the diabetes program earlier this year at the Trailhead Resources homeless shelter with, according to Webber, positive results. She is hopeful more community groups will partner with Washington Outreach Ministries to expand the program.
"We are trying to get these kinds of services to people who are underserved. You know we are in a rural area where people are more likely to be underserved than even in the inner city," said Webber. "We have classes in person and for people who are still afraid of COVID we also meet via Zoom. We want to eliminate as many of those barriers as we can to help people."
Anyone interested in Washington Outreach Ministries and its food bank or health programs should call 704-477-8358.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Washington Outreach Ministries launches diabetes programs
