Promise Community Health Center will ensure your children have all the required health screenings and immunizations that they need for school.
As a bonus: Free food and fun will be offered for the whole family.
The health center, located at 338 1st Ave. NW, across the street from the Sioux Center city office, will host its Back-to-School Block Party 2-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9. The hours have been expanded this year due to the popularity of the event. The block party also celebrates National Health Center Week, which is Aug. 13-18.
“We are so excited to be putting on our back-to-school event again this year,” said Emily Tuschen, clinic manager for Promise, noting that she is especially looking forward various community organizations participating. “This event is a great way that Promise can provide accessible, affordable physicals and screenings to all students who are in need of them. We are looking forward to another great year.”
The Back-to-School Block Party is open to all area students and their families. No appointments are necessary in advance – just show up.
At the event, Promise will offer the following health services:
Free immunizations that students are required to have for school;
Free dental screenings that are required for students entering kindergarten and ninth grade;
Free vision screenings that are required for students entering kindergarten and third grade;
$25 school and sports physicals.
In addition, Sioux Center Health representatives will provide car seat safety checks again this year, so people are encouraged to bring their vehicles with their car seats to the event. Bilingual Sioux Center School District representatives will be available to help Spanish-speaking parents register their children for school. Stepping Stones Preschool also will register children.
Promise also will give out free drawstring bags with school and health supplies. A $500 grant from the Walmart Foundation and a donation of dental supplies from Delta Dental helped to make the project possible.
After families complete the screenings, they will be invited into the parking area and alley behind Promise’s building for the block party food and fun. KSOU Radio will serve free hot dogs, chips and Coca-Cola. Culver’s will hand out lemon ice treats. Cinema 5 Theatres will provide popcorn.
Several organizations from the community will present booths with various interactive and educational games and activities for children and families. Face painting, skee ball, sidewalk chalk and bubbles, and crafts also will be provided.
“We want to provide students with all the health services that they need before the next school year begins, but we also want this to be an enjoyable family outing,” said Derrick Vander Waal, public relations and development coordinator for Promise. “We invite families to come out and have a great time. The number of people who attend the block party grows every year.”
ABOUT NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK:
National Health Center Week is Aug. 13-19. The 2017 theme is: “Celebrating America’s Health Centers: The Key to Healthier Communities.”
National Health Center Week celebrates the history of community health centers providing affordable, high-quality and cost-effective health care to medically vulnerable and underserved people throughout the United States, regardless of their insurance or ability to pay. More than 25 million Americans are served by a network of more than 1,400 community health centers and 9,800 service delivery sites.
Promise Community Health Center, one of 14 community health centers in Iowa, opened in 2008 in Sioux Center as a nonprofit health center and earned its status as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in 2012.
During 2016, Promise cared for a record 3,886 patients who received a comprehensive array of health services that includes medical, prenatal, dental, vision/eye, mental health
and family planning. Of those patients, 40.2 percent were on Medicaid and 36.4 percent had no insurance.
To learn more about America’s health centers, view this fact sheet with quick-glance information.
AT A GLANCE:
What: Back-to-School Block Party
When: 2-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9
Where: Promise Community Health Center, 338 1st Ave. NW, Sioux Center
What: Promise will offer free immunizations, dental screens and vision screens that students need for school and $25 school and sports physicals. Sioux Center School District staff will assist Spanish-speaking students with registering for school, and Sioux Center Health staff will offer car-seat safety checks. Free drawstring bags with school and health supplies will be handed out. The event also will include free food, games and activities offered by various area businesses and organizations.
Why: The event helps ensure students are prepared for school.
Contact: For more information, call Promise at 712-722-1700.
