Local Chamber Educates Community on Health and Wellness

The (NAACCC) Healthcare and Wellness Committee recently launched a series of seminars aimed at making this part of the county healthier.

The committee was formed by Carol Boyer, membership director with NAACCC, as a way to help get chamber members who are in the health and fitness industries to give back to the community.

Each month since August chamber members have presented information on different topics with food provided by that correlates to the topic. In October Dr. Paul Dash, a clinical associate with Johns Hopkins Medical Institution’s cognitive neuroscience division, spoke about Alzheimer’s, and attendees ate food that is believed to help prevent the disease such as tilapia and salad.

“The purpose of the chamber is to help build businesses. [So health and fitness businesses] wondered what we can do to help the business while also helping the community,” Boyer said. “We can tell people to exercise, we can tell people to eat right, but the reality is people can’t afford it.”

Chamber CEO Fran Schmidt said the free seminars, which address topics ranging from Alzheimer’s in September to breast cancer awareness in October, are a way to help make the northern part of Anne Arundel County a better place to live and work.

“We are concerned about the health of business members and their families. [The seminars] showcase the services and products and everything the chamber has to offer,” she said.

Tina Wright with Wright Touch Agency, who went to the September seminar on Alzheimer’s held at ShopRite in Glen Burnie, said she attended the meeting because it related to her field. Wright Touch is a business that places those in need of services in homes or locates caregivers for them.

“It’s great to have these [seminars] because a lot of people don’t know much about the topics that are discussed,” she said.

The next seminar will take place Oct. 18 where Dr. Helen Mrose of Bay Radiology in Severna Park will discuss breakthroughs in breast cancer and cancer survivor Kathryn Devaney of Thomas Financial Services in Glen Burnie will discuss ways to fight cancer through diet.

The seminar begins at noon and will be held in the ShopRite meeting center. To register call 410-766-8282 or visit naaccc.com.