Southwest Key is a local non-profit that’s making the road to a healthier lifestyle easier to navigate for local Austinites.

On Thursday, August 25, 2011 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Southwest Key will hold a Wellness Fair at their headquarters in East Austin, El Centro de Familia.

The national company established their home at El Centro de Familia (6002 Jain Lane) a few years ago to more closely address the issues facing the people they seek to empower.

Narissa Johnson, Communications Manager at Southwest Key, spoke to the Post about the move, and how it helped develop into tomorrow’s Fair.

“We were concerned about the health of the East Side community, and we wanted to develop programming and outreach specific to this neighborhood, but also to all of East Austin,” said Johnson.

Initially, the Wellness Fair was intended for Southwest Key staff, as the organization puts a strong emphasis on keeping its employees informed and provided with the resources they would need to lead healthy lifestyles.

The emphasis was so strong, in fact, that Southwest Key was ranked in the top three healthiest employers in Central Texas. That devotion was naturally transferred to the community issue the non-profit is working to improve, and the decision to make the Wellness Fair public was an obvious one.

“It became really clear, very quickly, that it would be fabulous if we could open this up to the entire community,” said Johnson.

The Wellness Fair will include vendors from the American Diabetes Association, Gold’s Gym, Austin Family Dentist and Live Tobacco Free Austin, among others. There will also be free health tests and screenings given, valuable to anyone who cares about their well-being. The resources available at the Wellness Fair are wide-spread.

“A lot of those resources are going to be information like types of services insurance and benefits companies can provide, and access to information about fitness clubs,” said Johnson. “One of the things I think is really important is we’re going to be offering screenings for blood pressure, glucose, vision... and flu shots will be available.”

That’s a pretty substantial collection of information that would otherwise require a series of doctor’s appointments, travel to and from and perhaps even a fee for the visits. Getting the necessary tests done in one quick stretch is a great advantage when you consider all the factors involved, said Johnson.

“Those kinds of resources all in one place are a great opportunity for community members to not only learn how to live healthier lives, because I think most of us can benefit from that kind of information, but also it gives them the opportunity to access screenings all in one place, and at one time,” Johnson said.

For more information, visit Southwest Key's website here.