Wellness festival expands access and deepens community connections

The PAN Foundation’s Stronger Together festival returned to Atlanta for its second year, welcoming more than 200 community members and bringing together a mix of 53 new organizations alongside returning partners.

What began as a single-day event has grown into a key part of PAN’s community engagement work—one that continues to strengthen relationships, expand access, and spark collective action.

Bringing services and support under one roof

On October 25th, 2025, attendees explored services from local organizations across sectors, including community-based groups, healthcare systems, primary care providers, and social service organizations focused on housing, transportation, and employment.

Prominent partners included Emory University, Morehouse College, Wellstar Health System, Mercy Care, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Good Samaritan Health Center, among others. Together, these partners helped deliver a full spectrum of support to the community—reflecting the shared goal of improving access to care for everyone, regardless of income or zip code.

More nutritional support and health screenings

The 2025 Stronger Together festival provided critical support to community members by distributing 10,000 pounds of fresh produce, helping families access nutritious food while connecting them to a wide range of healthcare and social services.

Healthcare access was another major focus. The festival offered nearly twice as many health screenings compared to 2024, providing over 140 screenings in one day. Mobile health units and licensed medical professionals provided free screenings for asthma, breast abnormalities, dementia, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney disease, prostate cancer, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV testing. Memory screenings and STI tests were the most in-demand. These expanded offerings guaranteed that community members receive trusted, on-site care and guidance to support their healthcare journey.

Education and empowerment through Medicare workshops

A key highlight of the 2025 Stronger Together festival was the Medicare open enrollment workshop, designed to help older adults and caregivers make informed decisions about their healthcare coverage.

Led by Shirley Thomas, Certified Medicare Counselor from the Georgia State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), the workshop was offered twice throughout the day, giving attendees multiple opportunities to join. Shirley provided straightforward explanations of Medicare options, coverage, benefits, and enrollment—empowering participants to navigate the often-complex healthcare system with confidence and clarity.

Community celebration, giveaways, and special guests

The festival combined vital resources with joy and celebration, offering a variety of giveaways to support families and bring smiles to attendees. Prizes included gift cards, Atlanta Braves merchandise, and more– adding excitement to the day and helping meet practical community needs.

Bringing even more energy, local celebrity Yung Joc joined the event for a meet-and-greet, engaging with attendees and creating a fun, memorable experience for families. His presence underscored the sense of community pride that makes Stronger Together a truly special event.

A special thanks to those who made this event possible

Now in its second year, the Stronger Together festival demonstrates how firmly PAN’s roots are planted in Atlanta. With generous support from our sponsors Amgen, Takeda, and Wellstar Health, PAN is proud to act as a convenor—bringing together the people, organizations, and resources that make lasting impact possible.

The success of this year’s festival is a powerful reminder of what can happen when we, more than 50 organizations, come together. The PAN Foundation extends our heartfelt gratitude to the following health systems, organizations, and supporters, whose contributions made the festival a success and provided essential resources to the Atlanta community: