NORFOLK, Va. — Kidney disease often plagues those in the African American community at a rate almost three times that of other Americans according to Pamela Walker, the Norfolk (VA) Links Chapter President.
That’s why the Norfolk chapter of Links was inspired to host a free wellness expo in Norfolk Saturday at The Murray Center on Brambleton Avenue.
“We’re having a wellness expo where we’re focusing on the awareness of kidney disease in the African American community,” said one sponsor.
The Norfolk Chapter was recently awarded a $10,000 grant in order to increase awareness, “detection, prevention, treatment and management” of chronic kidney disease in the African American community, a spokesperson said.
The Norfolk Chapter of Links was selected by the national chapter to receive the $10,000 grant for the Black K.A.R.E. initiative, an initiative dedicated to bringing awareness of chronic kidney disease to those disproportionately affected.
The expo included workshops to educate participants about kidney disease, cooking demonstrations and an informational expo. Participants were also provided with a free cookbook to help aid in preparing healthy meals.
Dr. Kiranjit K. Dhillon, MPH, an Eastern Virginia Medical School lecturer and board certified nephrologist, was the featured speaker.