VCU to sponsor Carver Community Health and Housing Fair April

RICHMOND, Va. (April 25, 2006)– Free health screenings will be conducted, and housing and safety information will be distributed Saturday at the annual Carver Health and Housing Fair, part of the Carver-Virginia Commonwealth University Partnership.

The fair is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 29.  It is free and open to the public and will be held at the Commonwealth Cancer Institute, 1109 W. Marshall St. 

Health-related events include blood pressure screenings and vision and hearing checks provided by the VCU School of Nursing; dental information and screenings performed by students from the VCU School of Dentistry; and breast and prostate cancer screenings conducted by doctors from the Commonwealth Cancer Institute. In addition, educational programs on asthma, heart disease, lead poisoning and health insurance will be offered.

Information also will be available on crime prevention, community policing and other community programs. In addition, the fair will offer free food, children’s activities and entertainment.

“The fair is a wonderful, one-stop opportunity for the city’s residents to gather helpful information and have fun at the same time,” said Catherine W. Howard, Ph.D., director of community programs at VCU, which sponsors the Carver-VCU Partnership.

The Carver-VCU Partnership is a collaboration between VCU and its neighbor, the Carver community, to create a shared urban community with a commitment to improving the neighborhood’s quality of life, while extending the experience of the community into the classroom and the university. Visit http://www.vcu.edu/ocp/programs/carvervcu/index.html for more information about the Carver-VCU Partnership and the health and housing fair.