BERKELEY – A health fair and resource day brought 14 different nonprofits and other vendors to offer their services to residents outside the Sadie Vickers Resource Center in Manitou Park. It also provided ways for people to give back.
The Resource Center is a place to make referrals and host people offering services, and this event was like an extension of that, held in partnership with Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey.
Chaplain Barbara Miles, Community Liaison of the Sadie Vickers Resource Center, said they regularly assist individuals by connecting them to service providers. It’s associated with the Holy Temple Church Of God In Christ.
This was the first year holding this resource fair, Miles said, and there are plans to expand it in the future. Perhaps they could have a medical professional providing vaccines; perhaps there could be a cooking demonstration on how to prepare the fresh vegetables from the community garden. There are plenty of options and plenty of ways to help.
One of the purposes of the Resource Center is to fill in a vacuum of needs for the small community, often forgotten about. Many of the vendors were similar.
Francine Porges from Caregivers said that the goal of these networks of volunteers is to create a set of supportive services to let seniors age in place.
Whenever she does a presentation, a lot of seniors tell her that they’re still able to do everything independently. That’s great, but no one knows what’s around the corner, she said. An accident or some other serious issue could impact all aspects of their lives.
Similarly, at a nearby table was Jack Stewart, owner of Assisted Living Locators. He helps families and seniors find the right place to live.
There’s a general assessment which looks into medical needs, financial situation, and other topics, he said. Based on that, various options for assisted living are presented. Ultimately, the senior or the family makes the decision and they don’t pay for anything. They can be reached at 732-749-2610.
“Sometimes people feel they don’t have choices,” he said. A community’s marketing people can be aggressive and might strongarm them into joining a facility that might not be right for them.
Adler aphasia is characterized by difficulty speaking, writing, or understanding language or the written word. It is often caused by stroke, and 70,000 in New Jersey have it.
Brianna Rein, program director of the Adler Aphasia Center in Toms River, was there to explain the condition to people and offer them help at their Toms River location (201-368-8585).
Fulfill of Monmouth and Ocean had a table as well. Oscar Velazquez, a resource connections team specialist, said Fulfill doesn’t check financial requirements when you come to their food banks. They offer more than food, however, serving the whole person. If they can’t help you with what is needed, then they can refer you to someone who can. The Toms River location can be reached at 732-731-1400.
Some groups offered services as well as an outlet to help others. For example, the Toms River Area Branch of the NAACP was on hand to drum up volunteers and help in any way they can. You can learn more by going to NAACP.org and designating chapter #2107-B or text JOIN to 20707.
The Friends of the Ocean County Library Toms River were also there to share news about upcoming events and welcome people to their group. They hold fundraisers and use the money to create free programs at the library.
