A clean bill of health is a valuable thing to have. But a good state of health is something that has to be maintained through vigilant screenings, exercise and diet, among other things.

This past weekend, St. Stephen Community Church hosted a community health fair through a partnership with Belhaven Seniors’ Center. Around two-dozen seniors from the area attended, receiving valuable education with regard to maintaining an overall state of wellbeing.

The health fair was also unique in relation to its structure. Many fairs feature a list of agencies and organizations that have tables set up for attendees to access information. This fair gave vendors a window of 15 to 20 minutes to present their information to the audience, followed by a question and answer session.

Attendees received information related to health insurance, home health and hospice, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, healthy eating, healthy aging and other information related to seniors’ health.

The senior center also presented information about the services it offers, including support groups, health screenings and other topics.

Northeastern North Carolina is an isolated region, and there are few readily available resources available to residents, particularly seniors. The senior center and St. Stephen provided a great forum for residents to become aware of the resources available locally, as well as important tips to strengthen one’s overall health.

According to Stephanie Webb, director of the center, many of the attendees were unaware of the resources featured at the fair, as well as the services and activities available at the senior center, which proved the effectiveness of the fair itself.

The fair, ultimately, served as a networking tool and provided information on a range of topics that could greatly benefit its attendees.

And though many would say 24 attendees is not many, the fair still helped those 24 people and word of mouth is the fastest form of communication. Those 24 people will most likely tell their friends and family about the information and services offered by the organizations, leading to even more people in the area becoming conscious of their health and their responsibility in maintaining it.

The services available locally should be taken advantage of by those in the area that need assistance in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A good state of health is priceless and is one’s own responsibility to maintain as long as he/she is able.