Laredo Public Health hosted Trim the Stigma as part of June’s Mental Health Month, featuring a mini job fair, free haircuts and more.
At 2600 Cedar Ave., Immaculate Cut Barber Institute and Workforce Solutions for South Texas welcomed everyone to attend, with a special focus on men as part of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month.
Laredo Public Health Director Richard Chamberlain said they partnered with various organizations and businesses to provide services for men in the community but encouraged everyone to continue investing in their health.
“We want to ensure longevity and vitality by taking simple steps every day by investing in our mental and physical health,” Chamberlain said.
Workforce Solutions Business Service Representative Krystal Karolina Ramirez spoke about the collaboration with LPH and the employers and providers who attended. Some of the employers seeking workers included G.O.P. Importing and Exporting for data entry, Entrusted Pediatric Home Care for LVNs and Taco Palenque for crew members and managers.
Providers on site included several public health kiosks offering information such as hepatitis C screenings and Chicanos de la Causa, which provides assistance with food and shelter.
Eleazar Lumbreras, LPH’s hepatitis C coordinator, offered free screenings to the community.
“What we primarily do is offer free hep C screenings, and for people who come out positive, we help uninsured and insured patients get the treatment that they need for free, and that is basically, in a nutshell, what the program does,” Lumbreras said.
He said many people are unaware they may have hepatitis C because it can take time to show symptoms and may be in an early stage of liver disease.
“So we give out these free screenings to track the progression of this liver disease, and we offer these services for free and walk-ins, too,” Lumbreras said.
A large portion of the event was led by Immaculate Cut Barber Institute, which offered free haircuts throughout the day to help participants look and feel better, according to headmaster instructor Norma Jeane.
“We’re offering haircuts and beard trims for Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month,” Jeane said.
She also mentioned that they offer classes for people interested in becoming barbers.
“We also offer classes, so if anyone wants to call, we are glad to give that information,” Jeane said. “We also have a teen program as well.”
In addition to haircuts, they offer hand, nail and foot treatments for people looking to pamper themselves.