Meriwether County community health fair to feature free health screenings and family fun
Everyone is invited to celebrate the Meriwether County community at an annual spring Health Fair on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Manchester-Meriwether County Recreation Department at 121 Perry Street in Manchester.
Meriwether Family Connection, Meriwether County Health Department, and District 4 Public Health are hosting the community health fair to provide access to free and low-cost health screenings, information and resources that aim to improve the health and well-being of the community. About 400 people attended last year’s event.
The Meriwether County Health Department will provide free HIV rapid testing, health education, and car seat checks for proper installation. The Morehouse HEAL Clinic will offer free blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and other health screenings, and the Greenville Lions Club will provide free vision screenings.
In addition, Warm Springs Medical Center will offer lab services for $5 each: complete blood count (CBC), thyroid (TSH), blood sugar (A1C), comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), prostate (PSA, males), CA-125 (ovarian cancer, females), and lipid panels. Anyone wanting a lipid panel should not eat anything after midnight the night before the test.
Always a crowd favorite, the Manchester Fire Department will be at the Health Fair again this year and invite children and families to stop by for a close-up look at their fire equipment at their “Touch-A-Truck” event.
Other community agencies at the event include Amerigroup Community Care, Bethany Christian Services/Renewed Hope, Guardant Health, City of Manchester, Pathways Center, West Georgia Domestic Violence Shelter, Three Rivers Workforce, Department of Early Care and Learning/CAPS Program, Three Rivers Area on Aging, Wellstar Women’s Health, Backpack Healthcare, Georgia Power, Brightmoor Hospice, and Parent to Parent of Georgia. Members of the District 4 Public Health team will share information on several programs, including Breast & Cervical Cancer Prevention, Opioid Abuse Prevention, Chronic Disease, and HIV Prevention.
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Meriwether County Family Connection focuses on early literacy, low birth-weight prevention, parent education, and family stability. Programs include Reading Cubs for ages 0–4, Reading Rangers for pre-K students, pop-up libraries, summer camps, and enrichment activities.
Family Connection also hosts parent events with literacy and cooking classes, plus maternal health resources. Monthly collaboration meetings are held the third Tuesday at 10 a.m. Learn more at meriwether.gafcp.org or email meriwetherfamilyconnection@gmail.com.
District 4 Public Health protects and improves the health and safety of communities in Meriwether and 11 surrounding counties. Meriwether County residents are served by District 4 Public Health through the Meriwether County Health Department, 51 Gay Connector Road, Greenville (706-672-4974) and the Manchester Health Center, 300 West Perry St., Manchester (706-672-4267).
For health department appointments, call 800-847-4262 or schedule online at district4health.org. Meriwether County’s two health department offer immunizations, well-child check-ups (including school screenings), breast and cervical cancer prevention, family planning, pregnancy testing, HIV/STD/STI prevention and testing, and more. One also can request Georgia birth or death certificates at either location. Both health departments also are the home of Meriwether County’s Environmental Health offices and the county’s WIC and Nutrition Centers.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Natalie Shelton, natalie.shelton@dph.ga.gov or (706) 302-6707