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Community Wellness Fair / Protective / Protective Stadium — Attendees at the 2nd annual Community Wellness Fair. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

Did you know that the American Red Cross will install smoke detectors in any house in Jefferson County for free? Or that Magic City Blight Busters will help residents restore their yards and remove blight from their neighborhoods? In fact, dozens of local organizations provide free and reduced-cost services to residents in need in the Magic City.

To help connect Birmingham residents with these helpful resources, Protective recently hosted a free Community Wellness Fair at Protective Stadium. Read on to learn more about the event, the organizations that attended and local resources you need to know about.

The 2nd annual Community Wellness Fair at Protective Stadium

Held in the Recruiting Room and South Plaza at Protective Stadium, the Community Wellness Fair is an annual event hosted by Protective as part of its Protecting Good initiative.

Launched by Protective in 2021, the Protecting Good initiative promotes neighborhood wellness, support and overall betterment of the neighborhoods surrounding Protective Stadium (Druid Hills, Fountain Heights, Norwood, Evergreen and Central City).

In addition to events like the Community Wellness Fair and “Trick or Treat in the Suites,” the Protecting Good campaign includes:

Smoke detector installation with the American Red Cross
Assistance on neighborhood clean-up days
Partnership with the UAB Live HealthSmart Alabama program
And more

“This event represents our ongoing commitment to improving the quality of life in our community. By bringing together quality healthcare resources in one accessible location, we’re creating a welcoming space where Birmingham families can access vital resources while connecting with their neighbors in a meaningful way.”
David Loper, Vice President of Community Engagement and Executive Director, Protective Life Foundation

At the Community Wellness Fair, residents from Birmingham neighborhoods received free sports physicals from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Sports & Exercise Medicine and comprehensive health screenings from UAB’s Live HealthSmart Alabama mobile wellness van.

In addition to free wellness checks from UAB, multiple local health vendors were on-site to provide access to wellness resources, including:

13 health + wellness facts we learned at Protective’s Community Wellness Fair

1. The American Red Cross will install smoke alarms for free in any house in Jefferson County. As part of their Sound the Alarm campaign, the American Red Cross has installed smoke alarms in 130 homes in Jefferson County this year.

2. Bundles of Hope Birmingham provides free diapers to families in need. In fact, the organization has provided more than ten million diapers to families in its ten-year history.

3. The Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama (¡HICA!) offers assistance when filling out school enrollments, citizenship and immigration forms, small business loans and more.

4. The O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center offers a wide variety of cancer screenings; early detection significantly increases the chances of survival and finding successful treatment.

5. Birmingham Aids Outreach (BAO) offers free, confidential HIV testing (OraSure and OraQuick) for walk-in clients.

6. In Alabama, individuals over 65 years of age may be eligible for property tax exemptions. The Neighborhood Housing Services of Birmingham (NHSB) offers free workshops to provide homeowners with the knowledge and skills needed for successful homeownership.

7. Magic City Blight Busters—a program of Birmingham United Neighborhoods (BUN)—will work with residents to reduce blight and trash in eight Birmingham neighborhoods.

8. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 19 and under. The Children’s of Alabama Health Education and Safety Center hosts a car seat clinic every other week to help keep young passengers safe.

9. The Alabama Poison Information Center at Children’s of Alabama offers free and confidential poison information and treatment recommendations to the public and health care providers via its 24/7 hotline: 1-800-222-1222.

10. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. You can learn life-saving CPR techniques from the American Heart Association’s website.

11. The City of Birmingham’s Department of Youth Services connects youth to education and workforce development opportunities. The best part? The program is available to youth ages 0-24.

12. Local nonprofit Drift Prep offers holistic wellness programs, including free and reduced-cost yoga classes to students of all ages.

13. Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center provides gas cards, grocery cards, a wig library, mental health counseling and more to survivors of breast cancer—even after successful cancer remission.

Did you attend the Community Wellness Fair at Protective Stadium? Let us know by tagging @bhamnow and @protectivelife on Instagram!

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Protective refers to Protective Life Corporation and insurance company subsidiaries, Protective Life Insurance Company (Nashville, TN) and Protective Life and Annuity Insurance Company (Birmingham, AL). Protective is a registered trademark of Protective Life Insurance Company.