Free health services offered

ELKHART — Lupita Macias, an Elkhart native, found out about the Walk for Wellness event, which provides free health services for all ages at the Tolson Center, through Northside Middle School.

"In reality, here in this great United States, there are many people who are just coming here, and we don't have the sufficient, personal economy or health insurance coverage necessary to take the medical assistance," Macias said. "And we thank God they do these types of events that in reality they are free for us, and they benefit the Hispanics a lot and just everybody here. When I find out about events like this, I try to let our communities know."

The Walk for Wellness event at the Tolson Center on Wednesday offered free health services, including dental and vision screenings as well as glasses.

The event was sponsored by several organizations including Managed Health Services, Minority Health Coalition of Elkhart County, the Indiana Immunization Coalition and the Tolson Center.

"We started the MHS Walk for Wellness events in 2022," said Jessica Parks, MHS director of community relations. "And they are done four times a year across the state of Indiana in different counties."

Parks said that after speaking with some of MHS's community partners in Elkhart County, MHS realized there was a need in the community.

While health providers might have asked if attendees have health insurance, people were not required to show health insurance at the event.

"When they come in, they get a passport," Parks said. "We may ask if they have health insurance, do they happen to be with MHS, but regardless of if they have coverage, if they're with MHS or not, they will be seen."

In addition to vision screenings, attendees were able to select prescription glasses if they needed them. The glasses could be picked out on site and then, the glasses are shipped to the person's home for free.

According to Parks, the Walk for Wellness events average around a couple hundred people per event. Including Wednesday's event, there have been four Walk for Wellness events this year.

Tara Morris, executive director for the Minority Health Coalition of Elkhart County, said the partnership between MHS and the Minority Health Coalition stretches back many years.

"Our partnership has gone on so many years," Morris said. "The reason for this is to ensure our community who lives here, no matter what age, what race, that they're being served."

The Elkhart Public Library also made an appearance at the Walk for Wellness event with its own table and the book bus parked on the southside of the Tolson Center.

Jill Martinson, audience development manager for the Elkhart Public Library, said the book bus was developed around 2021 and 2022. The bus had formally been a transit vehicle for book stops for the library.

"We saw a little more potential in the opportunity to take free books to kids wherever they are," Martinson said. "So, with the book bus we've started loading in children's books for ages 0 to 18. We have bilingual, English and Spanish books."