Page 10 - Chehalis Tribal Newsletter - September-October 2025

10

HEALTH/WELLNESS

Wellness fair supports Representatives

from various

community well-being organizations
offer resources
to enrich lives

By Bobbie Bush
Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center hosted
a wellness fair called Health Matters on
Sept. 23 at the Chehalis Tribe’s Community
Center with 38 vendors from Tribal, county,
state and federal health and wellness
programs.
New provider Amanda McCleskey was
there to take blood pressures, give AIC
finger pokes and complete blood sugar
checks. Attendance was impressive with
109 participants from the Tribe, Tribal
community and Tribal program staff. It was
great to see everyone in the gym.
Information on prevention strategies
and health practices was shared at vendor
tables.
South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency
(SPIPA) provided a yearly community
wellness survey.
The survey will be conducted in all five
of the SPIPA Tribes and will guide the
development of public health programs for
Tribes in the Southern Salish Sea region of
Washington state.
Lewis-Mason-Thurston County Area
Agency on Aging was there with very
helpful resources for people to learn about
and access. Information was presented on
a medication tracker that can be stored in
a purse or wallet and is vital in case of an
emergency.
For Native Lives program was on hand
with wonderful resources. The organization’s
website at fornativelives.org offers numerous More than 100 people attended the Health Matters fair on Sept. 23 at the Community Center.
easy-to-follow links. Information is right to
the point.
Another booth provided details on how
native plants can help our waterways. The
website streamteam.info/native-plants offers
a planting guide for Native Plants.
Visitors will find tips for choosing native
plants and determining your soil’s moisture
in the comprehensive guide Grow Your Own
Native Landscape.
Native plants are crucial to support a
healthy ecosystem and are:
n Naturally adapted to our climate
n Able to improve water quality because
they need less fertilizer and no pesticides
n In need of less water once established
n Resistant to native pests and diseases
n Essential for native pollinators and
wildlife who depend on them for food and
shelter
See FAIR / page 11