Saturday, June 10, 2023
The Brain Health & Community Resource Fair took place last Saturday, June 10th, at Lincoln Park in Jersey City. The Fair aimed to not only bring together various organizations, businesses, and community members to foster connections and provide valuable resources to our residents, but also to learn about the importance of brain health and aging. To make this possible, Act Now Foundation and the Hudson County Department of Health & Human Services partnered for the second consecutive year, and facilitated free transportation from senior centers, senior buildings, and city Departments of Health to reach as many older adults as possible. After all our efforts, the fair included almost 100 vendors that offered free health screenings, testing, and vaccines, and over 600 attendees!
The Fair opened at 10 AM with a Welcome Announcement on the main stage presented by Darice Toon, Director of the Hudson County Dept. of Health & Human Services, and Act Now Foundation’s Co-Founders Kristine Allen (President) and Cary Lopez (Executive Director). Afterward, our seniors rocked their bodies with a standing yoga session with hula hoops led by Gabby Creery Wellness. In addition, the Rutgers Cooperative Extension used the Hank Gallo Community Center to present a workshop on Food as Medicine: Cooking for your Best Health, which gathered an outstanding number of interested listeners!
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As a Dementia Resource Center, we always talk about mental stimulation as one of the pillars of brain health. For this reason, the Fair included Brain Games for all ages, including optical illusions, Stroop Tests, Memory Games, Spot the Differences, and more. The day-long event also included henna tattoos, twisted balloons, and even an Elvis Impersonator Performance!
Act Now Foundation would like to thank everyone who attended or participated as a vendor in the fair. Because of you, we were able to spread awareness about dementia and connect the residents of Hudson County to community resources that will help them lead healthier lives. We would also like to thank our co-presenter, the Hudson County Department of Health & Human Services, and our sponsors Eisai Pharmaceutical, Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center, Horizon NJ Health, Haven Savings Bank, Hudson Regional Hospital, and Applause Home Care for making this event possible. And, of course, thank you to all the volunteers who spent their Saturday making a difference in our communities!
