A Conventual Franciscan Parish in San Francisco hosts an Annual Health Fair

The Annual Health Fair at St. Paul of the Shipwreck Parish in San Francisco, California

provides many essential services

St. Paul of the Shipwreck is a Conventual Franciscan Parish in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Many Bayview denizens have been struggling to make ends meet for a long time. In the last year, their struggles have increased because of California’s slumping economy. With Pastor Friar Paul Gawlowski, St. Paul of the Shipwreck realizes that it has a responsibility to serve its community. One of its ministries that help to increase the community’s quality of life is the Annual Health Fair.

Information booths at the health fair

Hosted by St. Paul of the Shipwreck with financial support from the San Francisco Giants Community Fund and organizational expertise from Catholic Healthcare West, the Annual Health Fair provides free health screenings to all attendees. During these screenings patients are checked for various types of cancer, asthma, and diabetes. The healthcare providers at the fair also measure the attendees’ cholesterol and blood pressure levels and offer flu vaccinations.

An information session at the Annual Health Fair

The Annual Health Fair at St. Paul of the Shipwreck is also about education. It offers workshops to attendees that cover a variety of areas – from nutrition to yoga. The aim of the workshops is to make sure that attendees leave the Annual Health Fair aware that certain products they use or aspects of their lifestyle are actually detrimental to their health. Non-profit medical centers also set up booths at the Annual Health Fair. They want to build relationships with individuals who might not have a family doctor and therefore would possibly avoid seeking medical attention if they felt ill some time during the year. Service to a community is not a one day event for St. Paul of the Shipwreck Parish. Instead it is a full time commitment to creating relationships of support, so that when an emergency occurs individuals will have someone to turn to.