Government retirees will be treated to a fruit and vegetable produce giveaway next week as a part of its Retiree Farmers Expo and Health Fair called “Providing Wellness with Fruits and Vegetables.”
The event is being sponsored by the Virgin Islands Government Employees Services Commission Health Insurance Board and UnitedHealthcare insurance.
Partnering with Government Retirees United for Fairness, Guavaberry Farm, V.I. Kitchen and V.I. Hope, the expo will host a series of distributions, demonstrations and screenings on St. John and St. Thomas (see locations below).
Chef Ashley Allen Jr. and coach Elaine Joseph, of V.I. Fitness Kitchen, will hold a vegetable cooking demonstration to instruct retirees on how to prepare the vegetables they receive.
V.I. Hope Inc. will be offering free biometric screenings, which measure health indicators like blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels.
To be eligible for the health fair and to receive a bag of produce, you must be a V.I. government retiree age 65 years or older, and present your UnitedHealthcare insurance card and picture identification. Only one bag is available per person from a single distribution center.
The event’s organizers are encouraging all V.I. government retirees over 65 years old, regardless of their income level, to come and participate in the health fair.
The health fair and produce distribution will take place on St. John at Neptune’s Landing on Friday, Dec. 18 from 10 a.m. to noon. and on St. Thomas on Saturday, Dec. 19 at the Addelita Cancryn Junior High School auditorium and cafeteria from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information, call Lori Anderson, retiree representative on the GESC Health Insurance Board, at 340-776-4596; or Barbara Isaac, GRUFF board member, at 340-777-4556.