Free Sumner health expo with screenings for all, door prizes, lunch, more set for June

By Katie Nixon

Free health and wellness services will be available to Sumner County residents of all ages later this month.

Screenings for pediatrics, dental and adult health, plus other financial workshops, employment opportunities and CPR trainings are expected on June 29.

The TN-Meharry Medical College HBCU Wellness Project’s Health and Wellness EXPO “Wellness Begins With We” is scheduled from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at West Eastland Church of Christ, 342 W Eastland Ave in Gallatin.

In previous years, more than 300 people have received services at the EXPO, Angelic Branding Owner and Lead Strategist Jonaé Woods said.

Only about 180 community members attended the EXPO in 2023 for its return to Sumner County after a years-long break. The event was canceled in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Year after year, we’ve witnessed the profound impact of the EXPO on rural communities. We’re thrilled to return to Gallatin with an expanded lineup of vendors and sponsors,” HBCU Wellness Project Director Lisa McGee said in a press release.

Partnerships between Meharry Medical College and West Eastland Church of Christ, Purposed Life, Regions Bank and Tennessee Community Engaged Alliance emphasize the organizations’ “shared commitment to enhancing community health outcomes through active engagement,” McGee said in the release.

Beginning in 2007, the HBCU Wellness Project has sought to leverage educational and service-oriented resources at Tennessee historically Black colleges and universities to positively impact the health and well-being of state residents.

Since then, the Wellness Project has added 325 community partners across the state, conducted more than 1,130 community outreach activities and impacted over 65,000 Tennessee residents, according to The HBCU Wellness Project.

The EXPO will feature more than 25 health and wellness organizations. The day will also include children’s activities, door prizes and giveaways, fresh produce and lunch, “completely free of charge”, the release noted.

Walgreens Pharmacy in Gallatin will provide vaccines for COVID, Shingles, RSV, Pneumococcal and Hepatitis B, Woods said. Proof of insurance is required.