Health Dept. Hosts Successful Hub Event

Liz Kosier, NYS Public Health Fellow Tanya Sorenson, and Dr. Blanchard at the Hub Fair Saturday

By Matthew Avitabile

SCHOHARIE — The Schoharie County Department of Health held a successful Community Hub Fair over the weekend to bring together various community groups and local families. The Saturday morning and afternoon event was held in Veterans Park in Cobleskill. Health Department head Dr. Nicole Blanchard said that the event went very well, including 22 different organizations offering various services.

“We had the whole nine yards,” Blanchard said.

There was food provided by Piggy Pop and Jed’s Down and Dirty Burgers.

Blanchard said that the Department hopes to make this into an annual project. The Hub project has continued to grow, including a number of community-based organizations from all avenues of local life to “make Schoharie County a better place to live.”
This includes organizations that do not offer direct health services and can share ideas to help with issues related to infrastructure and public health.

There are quarterly in-person meetings for local organizations to share ideas, as well as five separate subgroups that meet monthly. These are subgroups intended to create “tangible” efforts within the community.

Blanchard said that many families arrived and “asked really good questions” and received significant feedback, including what the Department planned to do next.

She further said that the effort highlighted how the group could serve the public and “not just work with the public.”

Blanchard said that after reviewing the weekend event, the group may make it more family and community-oriented. The event allowed for significant learning, and also informed efforts to expand sponsorships and events for kids.

Health Department Employee Megan Haugh said that she worked alongside Blanchard to create the foundation for the community Hub, including fostering contact with the community organizations. She has been involved in the project since last October.

Blanchard said that Haugh has been “instrumental” in many ways and did not “give herself enough credit.” She credits Haugh and the Health Department team in creating the success of the event. There are now 60 organizations working within the Hub and several projects underway.

Health Department employee Liz Kosier said that the effort has brought together many different organizations, who are able to work together.

“As a whole, we can conquer more problems than we ever had,” she said. This includes teamwork and “working in ways I didn’t think they could,” she said.

Kosier added that she was heartened to see the different groups working together in Cobleskill over the weekend.

Blanchard credited Tanya Sorenson for her help organizing the event.

The health department director has been enthusiastic about the efforts, and credited the effort of the different organizations involved in the community Hub.

She also cited the second annual Project Rescue Summer Camp, which included valuable work, which took place last month at the Schoharie Fire House and helping to clean up Lily Fest the day before Lily Fest.

Dr. Blanchard said there will be a year in review upcoming, including honoring volunteers, the Hub Fair, and a booth at the Schoharie County Sunshine Fair.