ABAC mascot Thunder gets his blood pressure checked.

TIFTON — With nearly 80 booths, Community Care Day was the largest so far.

According to Craig Sowell, recreation director and one of the organizing partners, it has been growing continuously over the past 10 years.

Last year the event garnered around 65 health and education vendors and over 200 attendants.

On Saturday, March 10, local health and education resource facilities across Tiftarea met in the Recreation Department gym to share information on programs available to the community.

Community Care Day started when local leaders noticed several health facilities hosting separate fairs. They decided to collaborate to create a larger, unified health fair.

There were representatives from non-profit organizations, doctor’s offices, public schools, Tift Regional Medical Center and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, to name a few.

“It goes all the way from when someone finds out they’re pregnant to where assisted living has to come into play,” said Sowell. “We have that whole realm of life covered.”

Among the many booths was the Lion’s Club who brought in eye doctors for examinations. In the gymnasium, attendants were welcome to take a vision test. If they showed signs of significant vision impairment, two local doctors, Dr. Wagenhorst and Dr. Holmes, were in a private room to give a more thorough check-up.

Sowell noted some of the new booths and services that were even unfamiliar to him.

For instance, Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS) was there sharing information on how those with print disabilities can access digital book and magazine recordings and books printed in braille. The service is free and the application can be found online at georgialibraries.org/glass.

The Georgia Military Family Support group was also there sharing information on how spouses, and family of active members of the Georgia National Guard can get help with finances, crisis support, legal assistance and more. Tinie Stringfield represents Tifton and can be contacted at tinie.y.stringfield.nfg@mail.mil.

Society of St. Andrew had collard greens to give away at Community Care Day. The organization takes volunteers to farms to collect leftover produce. Sometimes they fill semi-trucks with produce that is then redistributed to community liaisons who give the food to local soup kitchens and to people in need. Taylor Rotsted is an AmeriCorp VISTA volunteer working the Society of St. Andrew. She said working with the organization has been rewarding.

“The idea that you’re giving people good healthy food and also building that community – it’s a win-win, for sure,” she said.

The farmers also get to use the donated crops to receive tax benefits as well as the comfort in knowing one less person will go hungry thanks to their help.

These were just a few of the services sharing their work and mission.

Lutheran Services was offering adoption help, ABAC had volunteers painting faces and even ABAC mascot Thunder got his blood pressure checked at Tift Regional’s booth.

EMT services and an Air Evac team mingled with the crowd, getting closer to their community in a positive, stress free environment.

Roxie Price, a Family and Consumer Sciences UGA Extension Agent, had vegetable bingo and educational resources on healthy eating for children. The public school system was giving out snacks sharing the healthy choices available now at local schools.

Tiftarea House of Hope, the Christian Women’s Job Core, Ruth’s Cottage and Patticake House, Women’s First Choice, the YMCA and more got better connected with the community they serve.

Powell hoped Community Care Day would help new residents and current residents to know what is available to them.

“Hopefully things like this will help them ease into the community, feel more relaxed and able to take part, and improve their quality of life,” he said.

He hopes that people left knowing more about their personal health and where they can go to receive treatment and assistance.

Photo Captions

Photos by Shelby Evans

DSC_0004 – ABAC mascot Thunder gets his blood pressure checked.

DSC_0015 – UGA Extension Agent Roxie Price teaches families how to properly portion their meals.

DSC_0034 – UGA Extension from Family and Consumer Sciences brought vegetable bingo to play.

DSC_0045 – Tift County Public Schools brought healthy snacks for attendants.

DSC_0050 – The rec gym was packed with health and education vendors that serve Tiftarea.