“We're trying to help break the gaps of disparity in the community for resources,” said Christopher Marville, an outreach coordinator for SEEDS of Healing Inc. — a local nonprofit servicing people living with or affected by HIV, and lack access to treatment and other vital health resources.
This week, Marville and other advocates of the NC Harm Reduction Coalition set up tents and tables in front of their office at 1308 South Dock Street, to promote their new weekly health and wellness community meet-up, Real Life Real Talk.
The group meetings will consist of talks from therapists, nutritionists, and financial experts; and free, on-site STI and HIV screenings will be offered, said Marville.
“We've noticed that there's a lot of people falling through the cracks. We have a lot of big hospitals around, a lot of doctors’ offices, but they can't serve everyone. So we're trying to catch the people that may have distrust from the industry, or they just don't know where to go," he said.
The Northside Community Co-op is one of the many organizations partnering with the coalition for Real Life Real Talk.
Others include Coastal Horizons Quick Response Team, a group of community paramedics and specialists working to reduce the rate of overdoses in the city; MedNorth Health Center, a healthcare facility offering payment options for low-income adults and families; and Excite Credit Union, a nonprofit financial institution aiming to amend financial disparities in underserved communities.
The weekly meetings will take place every Wednesday, between 2 and 4 p.m. starting June 25, at 1308 South Dock Street.
