Feeding Souls, Protecting Bodies: HIV Outreach in South Florida

Free Farmers’ Market and Health Fair

Date & Time: November 2 from 9am to 2pm

Location: Sunshine Cathedral - 1480 SW 9th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 (Get Directions)

Join us in South Florida for a special community event offering complimentary health screenings plus free, fresh produce and pantry staples from local vendors.

At the event, medical staff from Holy Cross Health will be on-site to offer health education, pamphlets and free screenings for HIV, as well as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, Hepatitis C, and syphilis. Referral coordinators will also be present to help patients schedule follow-up visits with healthcare providers. Event visitors are encouraged to engage with various partners through a fun health passport game. DKBmed will offer a $10 gift card for those who return their passport with all the stickers plus they will be entered into a raffle to win a $100 gift card.

This event is in partnership with Sunshine Cathedral. Sunshine Cathedral’s current food sharing ministry reaches 750+ people each week through a Wednesday morning food pantry and weekend distribution; those they reach are 80% BIPOC, largely senior citizens, queer-identifying, lower-income, and/or formerly unhoused veterans.

While the incidence of HIV in the United States has been declining and progress in HIV prevention is being made, the progress is not uniform, and significant disparities based on race, ethnicity, and region exist. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida, specifically, has one of the nation’s highest rates of HIV diagnosis, with 21.7 per 100,000, compared with national rate of 12.7 per 100,000. AIDSVu relates that In Fort Lauderdale, the rate is 36 per 100,000.

Additionally, according to Feeding America, the Fort Lauderdale area has a significant population of people with food insecurity. Food insecurity is associated with poor nutrition, chronic disease, and lack of health care access. Between 25% and 80% of people living with HIV experience food insecurity, and they have significantly worse HIV-specific health outcomes. Screening people who attend a food pantry/farmer’s market may identify people living with HIV who are either unaware of their diagnosis or not engaged in care.