A Pit Stop for your health!

Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.

On Friday, Aug. 13, local organizations came together to participate in a community event hosted by Big Bend Cares, with the intent of providing information and health-conscious resources to the public. This health fair was free to attend, and encouraged members of the community to take advantage of health and lifestyle resources that are offered by various local groups. Some of the organizations and groups that came to offer their support were Connect, Simply Healthcare, The Jefferson County Health Department, Sickle Cell Foundation, Inc., Big Bend Cares, Healthy Start Coalition and Refuge House.
The organizations engage in a health awareness event a couple times every month, and this Friday's event was held at a bit of an unusual location; the local Pit Stop, located on North Jefferson Street. The Pit Stop is a local staple, providing a quick in-and-out shopping experience for customers who just want to make a swift stop along their day to grab a bite to eat or something to drink before getting back on the road to resume their day. While it may seem unusual to host a health fair at a location where people don't usually intend on stopping for long, this was intentional.
“We wanted to think outside of the box, and meet people where they are.” Says Big Bend member Tracy Gallon, who helped organize the fair. “We often do events at the library, or the park, where people are there to do something specific, so it is good for us to catch people just passing through, and offer our resources.” The group aims to reach out to community members and encourage healthy eating habits, lifestyle choices, health screenings and more. They see value in these quick encounters to inspire healthier decisions in an accessible, day-to-day situation. The event had a good turn-out, serving over 30 members of the community between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and the team is thankful for everyone who showed up and took part in this week's event.
It is the efforts of groups like this, who come together to reach out to the community, that help Monticello be the best it can be, and for those who aren't sure where to start in their health-conscious journey, offer a helping hand to get there.