Active shooter workshop set
Barraque Street Missionary Baptist Church, 1800 W. Pullen St., will host a workshop on active shooters at 1 p.m. Saturday. Major John Bean of the Jefferson County Sheriff Office will conduct the workshop. The event is free to attend. Area churches and individuals are invited to attend, according to a news release.
Chamber to host blood drive
The Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce will host a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Our Blood Institute bloodmobile, according to the Chamber newsletter. All donors may receive a stand Tall T-shirt, one free entry to the Museum of Discovery and one free item from Nothing Bundt Cakes, while supplies last. Photo ID will be required to donate blood. To schedule an appointment call 877-340-877 or visit obi.org.
MASH, CHAMPS set for youth
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is accepting applications for two summer enrichment programs that introduce high school students to careers in health care, according to a news release.
The Medical Applications of Science for Health (MASH) program is a summer day camp for students entering 11th and 12th grades. Participants gain exposure to health careers through hands-on activities, tours of health care facilities and interaction with medical professionals. Most of the camps run for two weeks, but several sites plan to host “Mini MASH” camps for one week.
MASH camps will be held at UAMS Regional Campuses, hospitals or colleges. The program will be offered this summer in Pine Bluff, Blytheville, Conway, Crossett, DeWitt, Dumas, El Dorado, Fayetteville, Fordyce, Fort Smith, Harrison, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Lake Village, Magnolia, Malvern, Monticello, Paragould, Rogers, Texarkana, West Memphis and Warren. Students entering grades eight through 10 are invited to participate in the Community Health Applied in Medical Public Service (CHAMPS) program, which features three- to five-day camps with many of the learning opportunities provided by MASH. CHAMPS will be offered in Crossett and Fayetteville. Details: UAMS.info/MASHCamps.
Black Family Wellness Expo set
The Pine Bluff Chapter of The Links Inc. will hold the second annual Black Family Wellness Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 16 at Pine Bluff High School Gymnasium. The event is free and open to everyone. Pine Bluff School District has partnered with the The Links. This effort seeks to enhance access to preventive screenings, promote adolescent mental health awareness, address challenges affecting seniors and caregivers, and confront other health disparities impacting the Black community’s well-being and quality of life, according to a news release.
The local event is a part of The Links Inc.’s nationwide Black Family Wellness Expos being held across the country March 16. The effort also raises awareness about conditions that shorten or impact the quality of life for the Black community.
Some of the issues the expo will address include mental health awareness, kidney disease, heart health, organ donation, cancer prevention and screening, entrepreneurship, aging, suicide signs and prevention, substance abuse, tax preparation, home ownership, voter registration and information, and estate planning.
The Pine Bluff Chapter of The Links Inc. was chartered in 1969. Carla M. Martin is the current president and Valandra L. German is the Health and Human Services facet chair. Details: http://www.linksinc.org or the chapter’s Facebook page.