LIHU‘E — Recovery was the theme of the county’s 6th Annual Health and Wellness Fair held Thursday in conjunction with September being National Alcohol and Drug Recovery Month. Coordinated by Theresa Koki, director of Life’s Choices Kaua‘i, the event allowed
LIHU‘E — Recovery was the theme of the county’s 6th Annual Health and Wellness Fair held Thursday in conjunction with September being National Alcohol and Drug Recovery Month.
Coordinated by Theresa Koki, director of Life’s Choices Kaua‘i, the event allowed representatives of health and wellness organizations to be seen in a marketplace offering a broad spectrum of health concerns in one location.
“Do you realize one in four people have a mental illness?” Kathy Sheffield said. “Mental illness is one of the leading causes of drug and alcohol abuse. It’s just another illness and people need to realize there is treatment.”
Sheffield, whose son has been diagnosed with a mental illness, said she became familiar with the National Association for Mental Illness through his diagnosis and learned about the organization through training in California.
“Do you realize every island in the State of Hawai‘i has a NAMI chapter except Kaua‘i?” she asked.
Securing grant funds, Sheffield is determined to open a NAMI chapter on Kaua‘i to help other people who suffer from mental illness, and she hopes to have a Kaua‘i chapter operational by the end of the year.
“Our aim of the health and wellness fair is to help people live healthy and productive lives,” Koki said. “This year’s theme, ‘Join the Voices of Recovery: It’s Worth It!’ highlights the benefits to society when everyone works together to support those who need help in getting their lives back together, again.”
Mark Whitson of the St. Catherine Food Pantry had the company of his wife Karen as well as Jerald and Pat Saturnino, stopping and collecting literature at the different exhibit tables.
“We’re here so we can make adjustments to our list of people who offer services,” said Whitson, the head of the pantry program in Kapa‘a. “We have a lot of people who come through the pantry each week and they always check the list of service providers.”
Whitson said Wednesday, the pantry’s normal distribution day, they serviced 485 people, including 70 beach and outreach clients.
Kanoelehua Renaud, a Kaua‘i girl now living on O‘ahu, said she was glad to come home with news of Hawai‘i Health Connector, whom she represented at the health fair.
“We’re telling people to save Oct. 1 so they can visit www.hawaiihealthconnector.com,” Renaud said. “That’s the day the program will launch.”
Hawai‘i Health Connector, described as Hawai‘i’s online health insurance exchange, was established in 2011 by the state legislature through Act 205, which mandates the state create a health insurance exchange as part of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
Hawai‘i is on track to implement the Connector by January 2014 and was the first state in the nation to declare its intent to operate a state-based exchange and is meeting federal milestones, states a program flier.
Among the variety of information, visitors to the fair could get blood pressure screening, flu shots, senior identification cards, a 30-minute exercise demonstration, while learning about a variety of subjects including crime enforcement and prevention, senior services information, reiki, drug awareness information, veterans services and women’s health information, mental health services, substance abuse prevention for pregnant and parenting women, health care fraud education and water safety.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
