In addition to health checks, general advice and groceries, residents can also enjoy bingo and yoga.
Martin is a lifelong Charlottesville resident who has lived in the 10th and Page area and has extensive experience working to strengthen community health care throughout the city. She served as director of community services at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital for 25 years before joining UVA Health two years ago.
She works to ensure programs meet the unique and changing needs of an ever-changing region. In response to the growing number of Fifeville residents who speak Pashto, a language spoken in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and other neighboring countries, the team provides Pashto interpreters once a month.
Upon entering the building, visitors may encounter Justin Vesser, a UVA Health pharmacist who operates outpatient pharmacy for a system that includes nine community pharmacies in the Central Virginia region.
Mr. Wesser will spend two hours administering vaccinations to those who wish to do so. This season, he is primarily focused on COVID-19 booster shots and flu shots, and recommends talking to your health care provider about these.
“The flu changes every year, so last year’s vaccination won’t work this year,” he says. “It’s just as important to make sure you don’t become a carrier or infect the more vulnerable people in your life, such as the elderly, babies, and pregnant women.”
Wesser says it’s important for people to have a trusted health care provider they can ask for information about the vaccine. When the COVID-19 vaccine became available to the public, he received his first dose of UVA.
“When people come here, it’s easier because it’s all staffed by people from the community,” he said. “They’re in an environment they know, with people they know. There are people who may not be able to get a shot from me at my pharmacy, but are happy to come here.”
In the kitchen around the corner, David Shackelford Sr. regularly volunteers to pack fresh produce for visitors. This week, he packed pears, acorn squash, apple cider and collard greens for everyone who wanted them.
Born and raised in Charlottesville, he attended church all his life and supported Abundant Life Ministries for decades. At 63, he relishes the opportunity to make life easier for his community. “Someone did that for me when I was a kid,” he said.
Before the evening got busy, he took the opportunity to have his blood pressure checked by a UVA public health nurse on site. Nurses will provide a variety of health exams, including blood pressure, hemoglobin, and blood sugar tests.
Jennifer Gaines, a registered nurse and nursing instructor at UVA Health, said she is also available to answer any questions about general health, diet, lifestyle and managing conditions such as diabetes.
Gaines said community is an important part of living a healthy life. The goal of providing a space where people can return week after week and see familiar faces is to foster a welcoming atmosphere and promote healthy living, she said.
