Oglethorpe Public Library hosted a Family Health Resource Fair, providing a central location for residents to access health and hygiene information, as well as payment aid resources from oglethorpe native.
Kendarious Glenn saw the need for health care aid in his hometown and decided to return to Oglethorpe County after furthering his education.
Glenn, a 2020 graduate of Oglethorpe County High School and now a Wellcare Georgia Community Resource Coordinator, explained the importance of bringing health care to the community instead of expecting the community to seek aid at a Family Health Resource Fair on Aug. 30 at the Oglethorpe County Library.
“We share information about our plan, what we can offer, and we also share resources that can connect people to other resources,” Glenn said.
Spreading information about health, hygiene and financial aid can often be uncomfortable. However, conversations about health care recently became manageable thanks to the resources provided by Glenn and the library.
“We would like for people to know that the library is a place where they can come looking for resources. If we don't know right offhand how to help them, we know somebody in the community that could help them,” branch manager Nicole Hensley said.
The event featured stations for children, including teeth-brushing tips, information on healthy foods, a hand-washing guide, and a play doctor’s setup with information on what to expect at a doctor’s visit.
“We wanted to highlight how you can talk to your kid and play with your kid and show them ways that they can be healthy,” Hensley said.
The library also offers support with electronically booking doctors' appointments, domestic violence and relationship resources through the Breaking Silence organization, breast feeding information, and connections to local HVAC technicians through Ninth District Opportunity.
In addition, the library works with the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension to connect residents with specific or need-based resources.
“There are a lot of programs through UGA that we can help people get connected with,” Hensley said. “So just being a source of resources, a source of where to start. If someone (asks), ‘How do I do this? I don’t know how to do this,’ then they can go talk to someone, then they can help them get started.”
Both Glenn and Hensley said they hope that through this event, more people will learn about the resources and seek aid.
“We want people to have a central location where they can go to find help and find those resources when they need help for something,” Hensley said.