Residents In Manchester Benefit from Health and Wellness Outreach Initiatives

More than 200 residents of the Manchester communities of Blue Mountain and Coffee Grove recently benefited from health and wellness fairs held in their areas.

Both fairs were spearheaded by the Evangelism and Missions Committees of the Blue Mountain Seventh Day Baptist Church and Coffee Grove Seventh Day Baptist Church.

In the Blue Mountain community, residents benefited from free health screenings, dental cleanings and examinations, the administration of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and other selected vaccines, back-to-school medicals, and a range of other health services.

These were provided through the support of the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA), specifically the Manchester Health Department and Mandeville Regional Hospital; Dr. Wilson’s Dental Surgery Limited; and other private-sector partners.

In the Coffee Grove community, residents also benefited from free health screenings, including blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), blood sugar and other checks, as well as back-to-school medicals and a range of other health services provided by the SRHA.

The medical services also included dental examinations and extractions provided by Dr. Wilson’s Dental Surgery Limited.

Lead Coordinators for both fairs, Cassandra Bell-Dawkins and Pastor Dr. Rosemarie Wilson, told JIS News that the events served as a reminder of the important role that various groups can play in community development, care and service.

Mrs. Bell-Dawkins, Lead Coordinator at the Blue Mountain Seventh Day Baptist Church, outlined the origins of the week-long series of activities leading up to the health and wellness Fair, dubbed ‘Community Week’.

“At its inception, ‘Community Week’ was designed to reach members of the Blue Mountain community, and we reach out in terms of evangelism. But we also wanted to serve in a tangible way, [so] we came up with the idea of hosting a health fair as the best way to reach the members of the community,” she shared.

Mrs. Bell-Dawkins added, “We are in the rural area and so healthcare is a big issue for all persons, specifically, our children need to be checked, and their school medicals and dental checks need to be done.”

In 2023, when the event returned following the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 120 residents were served.

This year, the initiative served an even larger number of residents and expanded its offerings to include additional services such as vaccinations and dental cleanings for children.

Mrs. Bell-Dawkins, who noted that residents were “very welcoming and appreciative of the services brought to their doorsteps”, believes that, as citizens, “we have to reach the stage where we serve others”, because “service builds relationships”.

“I really want to encourage other persons of other communities and other religious organisations to reach out to the community in which they operate and find tangible ways to give back and serve them, because it will have a lasting impact, more than we can imagine,” she maintained.

Meanwhile, Pastor Wilson, Lead Coordinator at the Coffee Grove Seventh Day Baptist Church, reflected on the community’s first health and wellness fair since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have always been a church with a keen eye for serving the community. Monthly, we serve the community through [the] distribution of care packages. So, we really wanted to touch the lives in a more tangible way… in a more wholesome way,” she told JIS News.

Like Mrs. Bell-Dawkins, Pastor Wilson also identified the need for easier access to healthcare services within her community.

“We wanted to offer back-to-school medicals, because we know it is quite a rural community… getting to Mandeville is sometimes really costly, so we wanted to bring the services closer to the people in the community,” she shared.

“We really believe in serving the community. I think that is what church is about. Church is not a building… church is really meeting the people where they are. It is serving, [because] that is what Jesus did… and we believe that is what He has called us to do,” Pastor Wilson added.

In keeping with the wellness focus of the events, representatives from various government agencies, including those responsible for information, agriculture, waste management, and tax administration, were also on hand to provide residents with information on the services available to them and deliver much-needed support directly within their communities.

At the Coffee Grove health and wellness fair, Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), through the Manchester Municipal Corporation’s Property Tax Unit, enabled residents to pay property taxes and receive assistance with a range of tax-related queries and concerns.

At both fairs, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) provided farmer registration services and engaged residents on the range of extension services available to the agricultural sector.

The agency also highlighted opportunities for training in the production of value-added products from crops such as beetroot and cassava, as well as marketing support for locally manufactured goods.

Also on display at the RADA booths at both events were examples of value-added food products developed through the agency’s Social Services/Home Economics Unit.

These included beetroot pepper jelly, banana wine, bee pollen, sweet potato porridge mix, cassava flour and honey.

Other government entities represented at both fairs were SPM Waste Management Limited and the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).

Representatives of SPM Waste Management Limited reiterated the importance of proper waste disposal and timely garbage collection in preventing rodent infestations and the spread of disease. They also shared the garbage collection schedules for both communities and addressed residents’ questions and concerns.

The JIS provided residents with important information on government policies, programmes and services through brochures, videos and interactive presentations.

Though the fairs were planned primarily with children in mind, particularly ahead of the start of the 2026/27 academic year, they also benefited a wider cross-section of residents, including farmers, senior citizens and others in need of healthcare, information, and access to government services.