By Gian Prabhudas, Building Kentucky
Over 4,000 Kentuckians will experience homelessness on any given day, including almost 700 people in Lexington. To support the needs of unhoused Kentuckians, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid is launching Friends Redefining and Empowering Social Health (FRESH), a monthly event that provides free haircuts and health education to neighbors in need.
FRESH is a community-wide initiative to educate and empower the residents of local emergency housing facilities so they can take greater control of their health and build a brighter future. FRESH will feature interactive health-related activities and will provide a forum to promote mental health, nutrition, disease prevention, and oral and personal hygiene, and more.
“This collaboration with community partners, including barbers and beauticians, illustrates our dedication to innovative programs to address barriers to care, such as homelessness, which negatively impact health and wellbeing,” said Leon Lamoreaux, Anthem Medicaid President in Kentucky. “We believe FRESH will help to improve the lives and whole health of fellow Kentuckians by providing critically important health education services and the opportunity for a fresh start – beginning with a fresh cut.”
The inaugural FRESH event kicks off July 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at New Life Day Center in Lexington. New Life Day Center will continue to host FRESH events on the fourth Thursday of every month, including August 26, September 23, and October 28.
The FRESH campaign is part of Anthem Medicaid’s comprehensive efforts to address social determinants of health, including housing and food insecurity, racial and gender health disparities and more across the Commonwealth. To date, Anthem Medicaid has donated over $600,000 to create attainable housing solutions and support to people experiencing homelessness in Kentucky.
To learn more about the work of Annthem Medicaid, please visit anthem.com/kymedicaid.
