The Oak Park Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual health and wellness fair Sunday, drawing hundreds of visitors to the midday event intended to spread the word about available health resources in the area.
This year, the chamber held the fair in the new Community Recreation Center, a popular Park District spot offering a walking track, sports courts and a fully-stocked gym, among other amenities, which spread the fair over two floors.
Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce Director Darien Marion-Burton said the growing event and its ambitious goals are done with the support of the community and in response to their growing needs.
“Getting 90 different vendors together in one room is no small feat, and community support makes that happen,” said Marion-Burton.
The new location did allow for some growth. While the majority of vendors remained in one room up on the second floor, the ground floor offered something new for fair-goers.
On the second floor, in a basketball gym, the fair hosted its usual array of health care service providers, with tables displaying pamphlets advertising various services from window repairs to health insurance plans to specific treatment facilities – and drawing busy crowds with questions.
One floor down, in a separate room, the fair also included a wellness area where attendees could try out the benefits of a massage, crafts or just take a break with cold cucumber water. The setup was intended to showcase the need for residents to understand that health care is self-care and self-care involves addressing any number of stressors and needs, according to organizers.
“Honestly, it’s everything from financial wellness to mental health wellness to physical wellness,” said Marion-Burton. “It’s everything in between.”
He pointed out that one vendor offered services to fix window leaks to reduce heating and cooling costs of drafty homes — a necessary fix to many aging dwellings and an important part of a family’s physical comfort.
That vendor sat in the same venue as Comedy Plex, a comedy club that hosts shows as well as classes for aspiring comedians as well as more traditional health services.
“This place is breaks down barriers,” said Marion-Burton.
Attendees visited the wellness room, awash in soft lights and calming aromas. First United Methodist Church, one of the fair’s sponsors, had a table in the corner, and the pastor explained how even the church is tasked with addressing more than the spiritual needs in the community. She said any effort to improve wellness must factor in every element that can improve the person.
“Wellness is a daily practice,” said the Rev. Adonna Reid. “When any one of those components is not at its best, it’s like a car when it has a flat tire. It can move, but it won’t move smoothly.”
Reid said these days a church has to be more than a Sunday space for people.
“We’re here because we want to get out into the community,” Reid said.
Among the works her church does is traditional ministry like helping feed the hungry, but she’s also happy to be a resource to connect people with health care providers in the area that might help.
“I hope that the church and I can be a bridge in the community to connect all of these things,” she said.
Some attendees have been coming every year to the spring event while others dropped in for the first time.
Barbara Woods was among that latter number, and she said she liked what she saw. Woods uses the track at the community health center and saw a flyer for the fair, so she dropped by.
“I’m sorry I missed out on this,” she said, laughing.
Woods said she got her blood pressure checked — it was good — and she got a tote bag filled with information about staying healthy.
“I talked to so many different people,” she said. “This is fantastic.”
Jesse Wright is a freelancer.
