Contact: Chris Bradshaw; email: chris@dreamingoutloud.net; phone: 202-332-1306.

AYA COMMUNITY MARKETS HEALTH & WELLNESS FAIR AT PENNSYLVANIA AVE BAPTIST CHURCH

For immediate release

**** Press invited to photograph the market, interview market-goers, and vendors****

<Washington, DC> On Saturday October 29th Aya Community Markets is teaming up with the Community Health Planning and Policy Development section of the American Public Health Association to host a farmers’ market and holistic health fair from 11am till 5pm at the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, 3000 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, D.C. 20020. The Wellness Fair will be conducting health screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar levels, body mass index and visual screenings as well as providing information on eating healthy and exercise. Aya Community Markets will feature local produce, local arts and crafts and natural body products for sale. The event will be used to open dialog on the social determinants of health facing lower income families in Ward 7 and 8. The health screenings will conclude at 3pm; however the market will continue until 5pm.

The event is focused on educating and assisting people in the community to eat right, exercise and practice prevention. Learning where to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, knowing how to prepare them and understanding our nutrition is a key to living a healthy life. Exercising daily for 25 minutes a day helps energy levels and increases metabolism creating a happy body. By knowing and understanding current individual health status, people can be proactive in reducing deceases and illnesses. Eating well, regular physical activity and being proactive about individual health can lead to a number of health benefits, including weight management, increased longevity, higher energy levels and stabilized mental health.

Besides offering various health screenings, and cooking and physical activity demonstrations alongside the market, there will be two "walking audits" from 11:30am-1:00pm and 1:30-3pm, to conduct an assessment of the built environment in the neighborhood surrounding the market and fair. Its purpose is to document and discuss features of the built environment and the streetscape that inhibit or promote healthy lifestyles of its residents. This will include a discussion among participants of what they saw and what they think this means for the health of residents and potential next steps to advocate for needed programs or policies.

This event will occur during the Aya Community Markets at the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, spearheaded by the local non-profit organization Dreaming Out Loud, Inc. Aya Community Markets is a part of Dreaming Out Loud, Inc.’s ongoing effort to help provide fresh produce and education through a holistic health experience East of the River. The event’s goal is to mobilize collective manpower, resources, and skills to advance a more ethical world that allows underserved children, youth and families to thrive in the global community. The events partners include Howard University School of Architecture and Design, the Environmental Protection Agency, the DC Department of Health, and various Howard University and Georgetown Medical Student Associations.

Improving health in mind, body and sprit.

For Inquiries Please Contact: Chris Bradshaw; email: chris@dreamingoutloud.net; phone: 202-332-1306.