At DVSAC Event, A Plethora Of Information On Health, Relationships

ST. CROIX — The Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council on Saturday morning held its annual Health Fair and Family Fun Day, an affair that seeks to inform residents of services provided by DVSAC, as well as other health-oriented organizations in the community.

Free services included health screenings — cholesterol, HIV, glucose and blood pressure, according to Natalie Joseph, DVSAC’s community outreach specialist in the St. Croix district.

At the event, held inside the Canegata Ballpark Recreational Center, the Department of Health spoke about disease prevention  — including the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases — as well as cardiovascular illnesses and preventative measures. Williams Family Chiropractic, LLC explained the benefits a healthy nervous system and spine; Full Force Nutrition emphasized the importance of exercising as well as eating healthy; 2:EZ Physical Fitness focused solely on the benefits of working out; Cultured Naturals displayed and sold naturally made beauty products; and, among other things, DVSAC offered a test that asks five questions to help gauge the health of relationships.

Kathleen Lewis, registered nurse at D.O.H.

DVSAC is a territorial coalition sponsored in full by the federal government. It’s mission, which mirrors the national program, “is to provide leadership in preventing and responding to sexual violence through collaboration, sharing and creating resources, and promoting research.”

DVSAC works with multiple local organizations, including Women’s Coalition, the local courts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to help accomplish its goal of preventing sexual violence and, when necessary, adequately responding.

“We go into the schools, starting at ages two and a half and up, and teach prevention education,” Ms. Joseph said. DVSAC has signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of the Virgin Islands to provide training services for the university, in an effort to keep the institution of higher learning’s security standard at its optimum. “And we’ve also teamed up with the Department of Justice with the PREA [Prison, Rape, Elimination Act] program, because that’s something that needs to be implemented, and we’re going to be doing training with them,” she said.

A steady stream of residents filed in and out of the building. Food vendors served light offerings outside the facility, and Deejay Swain kept the atmosphere live with current and old hits.

Feature Image: A collage of vendors at DVSAC’s Health Fair and Family Fun Day (Credit: Ernice Gilbert, VIC).