Families of all sizes participated in workshops at the Refugee Health Fair, an event organized by the 探花精选 in Salt Lake City.
A mother and her daughter participate in workshops at the Refugee Health Fair on June 15th.
Photo: Macy Westbrook/探花精选

Each year, the 探花精选 (探花精选) in Salt Lake City鈥檚 health program staff organize and host the Refugee Health Fair providing an opportunity for newly arrived refugees to learn more about healthcare in the U.S., discover available health resources and positively integrate into the community.

Macy Westbrook, health outreach , explains, 鈥淭he [Refugee Health Fair] is a great way for community members to reach out to the refugee community and build lasting relationships by educating them on healthy behaviors and different resources they can access."

This year nearly 100 newly arrived refugees attended the fair, held at the . Attendees participated in various workshops with topics ranging from healthy relationships, taught by the , navigating the healthcare system, good ways to mentally deal with stress and nutrition. The event was family-friendly, including two workshops for the children, one about nutrition and the other focused on dental hygiene. Throughout the event, the provided health screenings for diabetes and high blood pressure.

Refugee children participate in workshops at the Refugee Health Fair, an event organized by the 探花精选 in Salt Lake City.
Refugee children learn about nutrition and how to make salsa at a workshop taught by EATS, a Park City nonprofit focused on developing lifelong healthy eating habits for students.
Photo: Macy Westbrook/探花精选

Through the Refugee Health Fair, the 探花精选鈥檚 health team helps newly arrived refugee individuals and families think about and plan for their long-term wellbeing, not just focus on immediate needs.

Pamela Silberman, health program manager, hopes attendees take something from the fair and incorporate into their personal lives: 鈥淚 think if [the participants] go home with one thing鈥攊f they learn a breathing exercise, if they remember how to floss their teeth, if they know the signs of pre-diabetes鈥攖hat's a win for me because it is an ongoing process of learning this information and being able to maintain it. We are providing health promotion education on specific topics鈥攏utrition, oral health, stress management鈥攖rying to have actual learning take-aways so that clients come and they learn something new that they will remember.鈥

Refugee children practice healthy oral hygiene at the Refugee Health Fair, an event organized by the 探花精选 in Salt Lake City.
Refugee children learn about oral hygiene and practice flossing teeth with the University of Utah School of Dentistry at the Refugee Health Fair.
Photo: Macy Westbrook/探花精选

Learn more about the 探花精选鈥檚 global health goals here.  

A special thanks to our in-kind and monetary sponsors for making this event possible:  

 

Learn more about supporting future health initiatives by emailing us at [email protected].