03/28/2024
Spread the love

By Roxana Ross

There will be a free giveaway of over-the-counter medicines and other medicine cabinet items on Friday, June 29, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Street United Methodist Church, which is located at 200 E. Eighth St., Lumberton.

During the event, participants should arrive at the church sanctuary, where they will go through registration and a needs assessment. No identification is required, but participants must be at least 18 years old to receive items. After indicating top household needs across many common medicine cabinet items, a volunteer personal shopper will take the list to collect the supplies on hand, while they last. Each individual will receive approximately $80 worth of product, which can include an array of options for both children and adults. The give-away items include cold, cough and flu medicine; Band-Aids; pain and allergy relief; vitamins; children’s medicines and more. Lastly, participants will have the option to sit down with a medical professional on site for exit advice to address any concerns participants may have.

The event is made possible by NC MedAssist, Carolina Complete Health Network and SeHealth’s Compassion for U Congregational Wellness Network. There will also be free health screenings: Carolina Complete Health will bring their Vision Van to the event, which will provide free vision screenings; free dermatology screenings will be available inside the church and Southeastern Health’s Wellness on Wheels van will be outside. The WOW van will also provide participants with Deterra packs, which are drug deactivation pouches participants can use to safely dispose of expired medications at home.

The medical professionals and other volunteers are being organized by Compassion for U. Spanish language assistance will also be available from volunteers. People who wish to volunteer should contact Southeastern Health’s Coordinator of Pastoral Care Services Rev. Dean Carter, at (910) 671-5021 or carter02@srmc.org.

After Hurricane Matthew, a similar event was organized with NC MedAssist that saw 1,741 participants, a record for an NC MedAssist giveaway, and 300 volunteers. Organizers do not expect to see as many participants this time, but are expecting about 1,000 participants and 200 volunteers. The Compassion for U group is also working with area churches to provide OTC medicines to shut-in or homebound residents who need items but lack transportation.

NC MedAssist is a nonprofit pharmacy program providing access to lifesaving medications, patient support, advocacy and related services to poor, vulnerable, and uninsured residents in North Carolina. Southeastern Health also participates in a prescription pharmacy program with NC MedAssist on a case-by-case basis.

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