BASTROP, La. (KNOE) – The Helping Hands ministry of Mt. Zion Church of God held a health drive as part of their monthly food pantry.

The health drive offered free medical services including blood pressure and glucose screenings.

“When they’re trained to prepare their food correctly, then they can have, they can check their health to see whether their blood pressure is right, whether their glucose is in line with what it should be,” the ministry’s Director Helen Smith said. “So, with the food that we give, plus we try to give healthy food along with the medical aspects of it, we’ll have a healthier community.”

Smith says the recent changes to Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP benefits make drives like these more important than ever.

“Listen, a lot of our seniors, as well as some of our other younger people, Medicare was cut, food stamps was cut,” Smith said. “So this is another outlet for them that they can receive good food along with resources to help them to make it throughout the month.”

One senior, who came to the drive, was Joy Sparkley. She says she has been going to the food pantry for years and is thankful for the opportunity to check up on her well being.

“This is more important now than it would have been even 10 years ago I wouldn’t have wouldn’t have thought about doing it, yeah,” Sparkley said.

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