Sowega Council on Aging connects seniors, caretakers with resources in Colquitt

COLQUITT – Leola Collins boarded a regional transit bus in Arlington early Friday morning, traveling about 30 minutes south to Colquitt to attend a farmers market and senior resource fair.

The 83-year-old was joined by two other friends from Calhoun County: Estella Battle, 81, and Mary Oliver, 93. They picked up free bags of fresh produce and pamphlets with information on health care and other services. The three made the journey to Colquitt’s First Baptist Church to attend a Sowega Council on Aging Resource Fair and Georgia Senior Farmers Market program.

Collins and Battle said the fair is a huge help, especially since the Arlington Senior Center closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The free event served seniors and caregivers from Miller, Calhoun, Decatur, Early and Seminole counties. Previous fairs have been held in Albany, Camilla and Moultrie. The fair acted as a link to resources designed to improve the lives of the aging community. About 20 vendors, including organizations like Early Medical Center, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital and Gentiva Hospice, lined a church hall from 9 a.m. to noon Friday.

The resource fair was also in conjunction with the Georgia Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which is a federally funded program that offers fresh fruits and vegetables to eligible participants at approved market sites each year. Attendees could fill out qualifying applications and receive their voucher onsite.

Kimberly Smith, the operations manager for SOWEGA Council on Aging, said it gave seniors and caretakers a chance to learn about resources they may not know about, especially those who live in more rural counties like the folks at the Colquitt fair. Smith said the event’s significance was felt even more post-COVID.

“You can tell … just listening to the conversations, that it’s something that was needed – that people were missing it,” Smith said. “We just want to let people know that there are services that cover these rural areas.”

About seventy people walked through the doors in the first 45 minutes of the fair. Smith said Camilla was the largest fair with about 260 people attending.

The Early Medical Center booth administered free blood sugar tests during the event. Cindy Hiatt, the center’s community educator, said they were trying to educate senior folks on what normal or unhealthy blood sugar levels are like and encourage them to speak with doctors.

Hiatt said it’s crucial for resource fairs like this one to reach seniors living in rural areas with high poverty. She said Early Medical Center provides critical access care to southwest Georgia and has funds to help those who may struggle to afford health care.

Melanese Stevenson represented Colquitt-based Spring Creek Health Cooperative at the event. The organization helps “empower the citizens of south Georgia to make healthy lifestyle choices and to utilize the health care system appropriately.”

She said a lot of times Medicaid doesn’t cover the full cost and seniors can’t afford prescriptions. This becomes a serious issue with conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, from which southwest Georgia sees a disproportionate impact.

Spring Creek helps these seniors get their prescriptions for free or low cost.

James Andrews with the Golden Triangle RC&D, which replaces water wells for low-income people, among other services, said the face-to-face contact at resource fairs helps to better relay their services. He said their office always sees a rise in phone calls after in-person marketing events and that in just under an hour, they’d networked with at least 70 people.

Bonnie Warren with Gentiva Hospice attended Friday’s event to let senior caregivers know how to reach hospice care as well as to reach potential volunteers. On top of hospice care, Warren provides entertainment for seniors at assisted living homes. She said the resource fair itself provides a social event for seniors, giving them the opportunity to see friends. She said the event was almost like a reunion after not seeing many folks since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These elderly people in these rural areas really don’t have a lot to do, so when they have something like this to do, they’re going to put on their best Sunday shoes and come to it,” she said.

This was true for Collins, Battle and Oliver, who donned pearls and bright colors to pick up their fresh produce. Collins and Battle said they attend the Farmers Market each year and that it’s a huge help to receive the free groceries. They both agreed that the cost of fresh produce at their local grocery store is high.

“We appreciate it so much,” Collins said.

Battle said the Farmers Market used to come to the Arlington Senior Center, but since its closing, she commutes to wherever it's hosted.

Collins said it was nice to get out and be around each other and to see folks at the Friday resource fair that she hadn’t seen in a while. These events happen annually.

To learn more about the Georgia Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program, visit www.sowegacoa.org or call 1-800-282-6612.