PASADENA, Calif. — The halls of the Jackie Robinson Community Center in Pasadena are filled with images of the legendary baseball player.
But on Saturday, they’ll also be filled with the women of The Links, Incorporated for their latest community event. The Pasadena-Altadena Chapter of the service organization dedicated to enriching Black communities is hosting the Black Wellness Expo.
For member Cheryl Myers, the organization has long been part of her life.
“I am a daughter of a Link,” Myers shared. “My mom was a member of The Links in the Phoenix, Arizona chapter, and so I kind of grew up in The Links.”
She recalls going to events and fundraisers with her mother, and it cemented the fact that she would one day join the organization to serve as well.
Dressed in her signature emerald green to do a walkthrough of the space ahead of the event alongside several other members, she said the Pasadena-Altadena chapter has spent more than six decades working to improve the community through scholarships, mentorship programs and health initiatives.
“For this program year 2024-2025, we have collectively done about 4,000 hours in community service,” Myers said. “So we really focus on rolling up our sleeves, getting into the community.”
And when disaster struck, The Links didn’t hesitate to step in.
“One of the pillars that we stand on is friendship — coming together as a sisterhood, serving one another,” Myers explained. “So when the Eaton fires happened, we knew that we had to come together and support our Link members who were affected.”
The group first assisted six members impacted by the wildfires. But their mission quickly expanded beyond their organization.
On Saturday, The Links will host a Black Family Wellness Expo, a community event focused on mental health, holistic healing and essential health services. Debra Ward-Samad, co-chair of The Links’ Health and Human Services committee, said they wanted to do more than just talk about wellness.
“What does wellness look like when you’re in the middle of healing and working through a difficult time?” Ward-Samad said.
Researchers have linked wildfires to long-term mental health impacts, including anxiety, depression and PTSD. And according to Ward-Samad, these effects are even more severe in communities of color.
“Health disparities are disproportionately affecting our community,” she said. “And then when you have a disaster like the wildfires, that even puts a double whammy on the inequities and the disparities that exist.”
The wellness expo will feature several sessions with this information in mind.
“We’re going to have two educational workshops. One’s going to be geared towards teens. The name of the workshop is called, Young Minds,” Myers said. “We have two, professional licensed clinical social workers and marriage family therapists who will have a fun day planned out for the teens,” she continued.
They’ll also have basic health screenings, cancer screenings and dental screenings for children under 12 provided by the Colgate Dental Van, as well as financial and housing resources.
“It’s very personal to all of us,” Ward-Samad said. “We’re all dedicated to improving the quality of life in our community.”
The Black Family Wellness Expo, featuring the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Dental Van, will take place on March 15 at the Jackie Robinson Community Center (1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
