By Bruce Leuthold
On Saturday, May 21, 2022, Glen Mar held its first free Community Health Fair from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Glen Mar showed hospitality by greeting its guests and sharing what kind of health services were available. Approximately 240 people participated in this health fair and received services and resource information from a wide range of organizations. All services were free for everyone. Below is a summary of the services that were provided:
- 91 people received COVID vaccines or boosters for those 5 years old and older from the Howard County Health Department
- 37 people received a health screening (e.g., blood pressure and BMI checks) for those 18 years old and older from Howard County General Hospital
- 28 people donated blood to the American Red Cross
- School children (kindergarten through 12th grade) received 15 immunizations from the Howard County Health Department
- Vision checks for those 6 years old and older from the Lions Club
- Hearing checks for those 6 years old and older from the Lions Club
- Foot and ankle health checks from Howard County Foot & Ankle
- Health assessment from a Centennial Medical Group questionnaire.
The following organizations provided information related to the services they provide:
- HopeWorks of Howard County: sexual and domestic partner violence support center
- GRASSROOTS: crisis intervention support
- Winter Growth: non-profit adult day program
- Emergency Preparedness
- Howard County Health Department provided information on county services.
The following was available to everyone:
- Free masks for children and adults
- Free snacks and ice-cold drinks.
Another way Glen Mar showed hospitality was offering a free box lunch to the health service providers and Glen Mar volunteers. The box lunch contained a turkey or ham croissant sandwich, bag of chips, cookie, bottle of water, two mints, and condiments. Glen Mar shared God’s love and sustained a relationship with the community. At the health fair, volunteers worked with the community to strengthen many hearts, minds, and bodies.
Below are some volunteer testimonies:
Sabrina K. – I helped with the morning shift of the health fair this past Saturday. The blood donation station and the Covid vaccine area were the most popular stations during my time, and it just made me thankful for all the people out there willing to give part of their own body for no reward to save lives. Seeing so many people lined up to safeguard their own health and the health of everyone who is immunocompromised or can’t get vaccinated just makes me so happy. Part of being a child of God is being called to take care of each other and I got to see that firsthand.
Carrie M. – God has taught me to always put Him first in everything I do whether big or small. I could see God in the faces of the participants. They appeared to be committed to what they were working on. They made the guests feel welcomed and shared their excitement of participating here at Glen Mar. As a hostess, I could feel God in the atmosphere!
Sue H. – Working at Glen Mar’s first Community Health Fair was satisfying and fun. I enjoyed volunteering at the Red Cross registration booth and working with a student volunteer. The fair was very organized and well run. No one had to wait long, and it was gratifying to see how many people were able to get screened or get vaccinated.
Alison Z. – The Community Health Fair was an amazing event. So many organizations in the community were willing to spend the day providing free health care services or talking to people about their organizations. Many people were helped. I was proud to be part of a community that cares and hope that we can offer more of these types of events in the future. There is always a need.
Lance C. – The health fair was a great opportunity for people to take better care of themselves. From vision and hearing checks to blood pressure readings, attendees could learn much about their well-being. The champions were the blood donors along with the Red Cross and Howard County Health Department staff who were critical to the success of the fair. I’m hoping the health fair happens again next year. If it does, I’ll be there!
