Over 1000 New Yorkers receive essential services at back-to-school health fair

On Saturday, August 29, more than 1,000 New Yorkers, including many from the Harlem/Washington Heights community, accessed essential resources and services at a back-to-school health and wellness fair hosted by Public Health Solutions (PHS) in partnership with ModifyHealth. The event, held at the Church of the Intercession, aimed to address food insecurity and rising living costs by providing direct support and connecting vulnerable families to resources that promote long-term health and well-being.

Attendees received a wide array of no-cost services, including health screenings, housing and nutrition assistance, cooking demonstrations, free backpacks and school supplies, children's activities, food, raffle prizes, and on-site assistance applying for WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid benefits. Over a dozen organizations participated, including Anthem, EmblemHealth, UnitedHealthcare, Fidelis, AIRnyc, Hunger Free America, Sentry, Sun River Health, Eve+Co, and the Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation, ensuring families had access to a broad range of neighborhood resources in one convenient location.

A central goal of the event was to connect families to WholeYouNYC, PHS’s social care network, which links eligible Medicaid members in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens to essential resources such as food assistance, rent and utility support, and transportation. The partnership between PHS and ModifyHealth demonstrated the effectiveness of coming together to support the community.

U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat and New York City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu both attended the event to meet community members and express their support for the families and organizations present. "Thank you to Public Health Solutions, WholeYouNYC, and their partners for making sure West Harlem and Washington Heights families start the new school year ready, backpack in hand and connected to the resources that support them. Events like this strengthen our community, and having partners doing such important work means we are able to reach more families," said Abreu.

Zach Hennessey, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President of WholeYouNYC, noted, "Saturday's event reflected what's possible when community organizations come together around a shared goal. Families left with more than backpacks and school supplies. They connected to resources such as food assistance programs, community services, and health coverage support, while also gaining practical tools through activities like the cooking demonstration that can help them make healthy choices at home. That's the kind of whole-person support WholeYouNYC is designed to provide."

Jen Lane, Senior Vice President of Healthcare Partnerships at ModifyHealth, added, "Back-to-school season is a moment when families are juggling a lot at once, and we wanted to meet them where they are with real, practical support. Partnering with Public Health Solutions allowed us to combine health screenings and food resources with the everyday essentials families needed to start the school year strong, and Saturday's turnout showed just how much that support was needed."

The event underscored the ongoing need for comprehensive support systems to help families navigate the challenges of living costs and food insecurity. By bringing together various organizations and resources, PHS and ModifyHealth successfully provided a valuable service to the community, ensuring families were better equipped to start the new school year.