Rockville-Tolland Church Brings ‘fountain of youth’ to Greater Vernon Holistic Healthfest
- E. Michelle Maitland
- May 28
- 2 min read
“I had no idea that I’d stumbled across the mythical ‘fountain of youth,’” shared one participant at Rockville-Tolland SDA (RTSDA) church’s booth at the Greater Vernon Holistic Healthfest, an annual event held at Vernon Center Middle School.
RTSDA’s Community Health Advocate Training (CHAT) team, spearheaded by RTSDA’s Health Ministry directors, Becky Rawlings and Jermaine Pinnock, organized a booth that was abuzz with activity at this all-day Connecticut event. The synergy amongst the RTSDA CHAT members was a beautiful sight to see.
While Kathy Yawingu, MD, Debra Queen, professional vegan chef, and Pinnock took turns giving health talks, Queen whipped up tropical smoothies, and her signature, 13-ingredient restorative elixir, Homemade Gatorade---a definite crowd favorite.
Attendees who filled out health interest surveys and signed up for CHAT newsletters were rewarded with free cookbooks. A formidable stack of at least 200 leads was acquired to be tapped for future RTSDA outreach activities, such as gardening classes and cooking schools.
“The crowd-pleaser that immediately grabbed my attention . . . was the computerized analysis of the Health Age Questionnaire [courtesy of the Bethesda Medical Mission group],” shared the previously mentioned participant. “Relief overwhelmed me, as the results showed that I was three years younger than my actual age. Even more startling was the potential for my body to become fifteen years younger, with some lifestyle changes.”
The RTSDA CHAT team knows that this exciting revelation is only the beginning of hope and wholeness that God wants His people to share with the world.
