East Gainesville residents learned about health and financial literacy on the first Saturday of Black History Month.
Participants at the Community Health and Healing Fair received free massages and acupuncture treatments, as well as financial literacy information from PNC Bank employees.
The event was held Saturday at the Library Partnership in Northeast Gainesville and was sponsored by the American Institute of Universal Medicine.
“I started this event because I wanted people to have a wide range of health care options,” she said, who founded American Universal Medicine in 2015 to educate people about health, literacy and finances. said Khalid A. Shakur.
Shakur, an acupuncture and oriental medicine doctor, said her mother inspired her interest in helping others.
“I had a lot of great mentors in my life,” Shakor said. “My mother was always giving out clothes and food. I was raised to contribute to the community.”
Other vendors at the fair include Gainesville Community Acupuncture, Academy for Five Element Acupuncture and Florida Acupuncture and Counseling Inc.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, acupuncture is the practice of inserting thin metal needles into the skin to treat common problems such as back, neck, and joint pain.
Acupuncture points are thought to stimulate the central nervous system. This practice is done to stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional health.
Shakur said it’s important to take care of yourself holistically, including what you eat and the music you listen to.
He teaches people about medicine, health and finance on a radio segment called “Music and Medicine Live & Direct” on Sundays from 4pm to 8pm on 92.1 FM featuring reggae, funk, Afrobeats and jazz. He said he was there.
Shakur, director of marketing and promotions for 92.1 FM, said the media is a powerful tool to address issues in the black community.
“The human heart functions from the heart, and the drums connect to the heart,” Shakoor said. “Healing is in food. The cause of disease is lifestyle and diet.”
Eric Abreu, who has been a clinical intern at Academy for Five Elements Acupuncture since August, thanks Shakur for hosting an event like this in East Gainesville to make alternative medicine more accessible to residents. are doing.
“People are looking for alternatives and there’s nowhere to go. But when you go to trade shows like this, you can gain knowledge from there,” Abreu said.
He said he had been suffering from a skin disease, but with some changes in his diet and the help of natural antibiotics, the boils on his face healed.
“Remember that your body is a miracle,” Abreu said. “If you give it the right energy, you can begin to heal your mind, body, and spirit.”
From confusion to clarity“From confusion to clarity”
Damita and Jason Hertz, the couple who founded Florida Acupuncture and Counseling, said Shakur was one of the teachers in their mindfulness classes. We also provide acupuncture, wellness, and counseling services to veterans, college students, and low-income families in the Gainesville area.
“We always want to be recognized for the services we provide,” Damita Hart said.
“We really want to get more involved and we’re excited to work with Dr. Shakur to reach out to the community and show them what we can offer,” said Jason Hertz. .
Jennifer Downey is an acupuncturist at Gainesville Community Acupuncture and has been providing acupuncture services for 22 years.
“I love the library and I love having the fair on the east side of the city,” Downey said. “I had an illness myself, but it didn’t go away until I started using acupuncture, other herbal medicines, and changing my diet.”
Swama Mai attended the event and volunteered to receive acupuncture treatment through Downy.
“She’s a good person and helped my immune system and lungs last time,” May said. “She’s very gentle with the practice, which makes her feel very safe.”
