Jason Elder and Wendy Dominguez host Anthem’s Black Historical past Month Program at their Jamaica location.
Picture by Athena Dawson
On Thursday Feb. twenty second, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Protect hosted a Black Historical past Month occasion at their Jamaica group service middle, positioned at 153-17 Jamaica Avenue.
Anthem partnered with native nonprofit La Jornada and cellular barber store, Platinum and Gold Experience Luxury Mobile Grooming Spa for Men to offer group outreach info and free haircuts to residents that stopped by.
New York State Senator Leroy Comrie was among the many attendees on the occasion, lending his presence to the event.
February additionally marks the beginning of American Coronary heart Well being Month, so employees members handed out flyers and hosted data classes concerning the warning indicators of coronary heart illness and hypertension.
“February is coronary heart illness consciousness month so we’re highlighting the significance of coronary heart illness and educating folks on what they need to do. Hypertension and hypertension is the silent killer. We simply need to educate the group and inform them to at all times be sure that to examine your blood stress.” mentioned Yasmin Hernandez, a well being educator with the Jamaica middle.
Neighborhood outreach supervisor Wendy Dominguez, coordinated the occasion to replicate the tradition of the neighborhood. “If you happen to take a look at the tradition and the neighborhood of Jamaica Queens a whole lot of it’s Afro-Caribbean and African American. We thought, what’s one thing totally different we will do that 12 months? We considered barber outlets as a result of we all know that barbershops and sweetness salons are aside of the tradition and if we deliver the barber store to our workplace, the barbershop will entice folks to come back and we’re additionally educating folks about American coronary heart month and the risks of coronary heart illness and hypertension.” she mentioned. “It’s about us celebrating Black Historical past Month and educating the group to ensure the group stays wholesome.”
The Jamaica middle occasion is one in all many ongoing citywide Black Historical past Month programming initiatives. Jason Elder, who’s labored with Anthem for over 20 years, spoke concerning the significance of group outreach in downtown Jamaica. “ The inhabitants has grown drastically throughout the final 5 years. We don’t simply supply insurance coverage, we do coat drives as effectively, we additionally do meals pantries for the group. We do a plethora of occasions to assist out our group within the downtown Jamaica space,” he mentioned.
Exterior of the group service middle, Brooklyn native Rodney Blackledge, proprietor of the cellular barber store, gave haircuts whereas he spoke about his time volunteering at Anthem occasions throughout town. “ Final week we did our first one at Church Avenue based mostly out in Brooklyn, and we’re wanting ahead to doing many extra,” he mentioned. Blackledge began his distinctive cellular barber service in 2022 after inspiration struck in the course of the pandemic. “ Because the pandemic and the quarantines I seen that shares went up excessive…each place the place folks need issues dropped at them. I had seen a distinct segment that no different barber was doing. I made a decision to see that the cellular business was the subsequent wave,” he mentioned.
Maritza Terrones, director of the healthcare division for La Jornada, described a few of the companies the group gives to the southeastern Queens group. “ We’re a group based mostly group. We began as a meals pantry… we advanced based on the wants of the group. Now now we have an area immigration clinic. Now we have some paralegals which are serving to asylum seekers, so we attempt to join the group members with all of the assets they want,” she mentioned.
