The Evanston Health and Human Services Department launched a new Health Hub in December that offers free screening and health consultations to residents at Ebenezer AME Church. The program was created in partnership with the church and TBF Diagnostic.
TAKALA FOMOND: It’s a personal mission of mine to help people know better in order to do better.
JACK BAKER: That was Takala Fomond, a self-proclaimed “daughter of Evanston” and the founder of TBF Diagnostic, a local business dedicated to bridging gaps in healthcare access.
From The Daily Northwestern, I’m Jack Baker. This is Everything Evanston, a podcast covering all things Evanston.
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Steam and the sound of metal dishes clattering filled the basement of Ebenezer AME Church in Evanston’s 5th Ward Tuesday as volunteers cleaned the church’s soup kitchen.
Behind a partition, Sara Ali, a registered nurse, sat calmly and awaited patrons seeking medical care.
SARA ALI: Usually people come here for the soup kitchen, and then they come here, whether they have a cold, or you know they have a fever, or they’re having symptoms of high blood pressure, high cholesterol. So we do all these checks for them, no charge.
JACK BAKER: The Evanston Health Hub operates at Ebenezer on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the church’s lunchtime soup kitchen. It offers free health screenings and referrals to community members who might not otherwise have access to medical care.
Last year, the city’s Health and Human Services Department partnered with Fomond’s business to launch the program. The Hub officially opened on Dec. 19.
TAKALA FOMOND: So that’s how we got started. The city of Evanston knows about us and then asked us to come together, and here we are with the Health Hub.
JACK BAKER: For Fomond, this project is personal.
She grew up in Evanston, attended the city’s public schools and said she has witnessed how disparities in healthcare access directly affect residents.
TAKALA FOMOND: Knowing that there are parts of Evanston that have an unfair advantage to access for healthcare hits me in my heart because this is where I am from, so it was really an honor to be asked to be a part of the Health Hub.
JACK BAKER: The city plans to expand the Hub to other locations in Evanston, including the Levy Senior Center, Fomond said.
Stephanie Saunders, a coordinator for Ebenezer’s soup kitchen, said the Health Hub has already provided support to many residents.
STEPHANIE SAUNDERS: They’ve just been open a few weeks, and they have addressed some health needs here with the community of people that patronize our soup kitchen, so we’re very happy. It’s a great idea, and we’re really excited for people to get some health care.
JACK BAKER: Ali said she frequently serves unhoused people, college students and the elderly, offering blood pressure and sugar checks, HIV and pregnancy tests and general health consultations.
Ali said she personally struggled to afford healthcare during nursing school, which makes her more passionate about helping others.
SARA ALI: I love my job, personally. This is not my only job, but I love it, personally, because you get to help people, and it feels good.
Like that girl that came in that didn’t know she was pregnant and she was scared to tell her parents, you know, I’m glad she came here.
JACK BAKER: Ali also works at Riveredge Hospital, a nearby psychiatric facility. She said in both jobs, she likes providing a “safe space” for community members.
Fomond said Evanston always felt like a small town while she was growing up.
Ultimately, she believes the Hub’s work reflects the city’s continued efforts to promote neighborly connections and expand access to health care among vulnerable populations.
TAKALA FOMOND: Everyone cared about each other. And as we grow, the Evanston population has grown bigger and I think the city of Evanston, especially the health department, is still trying to figure out how to keep that care within Evanston.
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JACK BAKER: From The Daily Northwestern, I’m Jack Baker. Thanks for listening to another episode of Everything Evanston. This episode was reported and produced by Jack Baker.
The Audio Editor is Anavi Prakash. The Multimedia Managing Editors are Kelley Lu and Jillian Moore. The Editor in Chief is Lily Ogburn.
Our theme music is “Revolution” by Xennial, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License and provided by the Free Music Archive.
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