Interview with Organizers for the Hispanic Health and Heritage Fair

The Hispanic Advisory Council of Greater Stamford, otherwise known as HACGS, has been in operation for 23 years. It is an informal council of about 75 largely Hispanic/Latino people who own, run, supervise or work in agencies, organizations and businesses that serve our Spanish-speaking populations. HACGS actually serves immigrants from many places. The primary function of HACGS has been to help those who serve their communities to more effectively serve the immigrants living in their communities, and our annual Hispanic Health & Heritage Fair is our primary function.The health fair is organized each year by the elected Board of Directors of HACGS, with the overwhelming help and support of countless volunteers, translators, and civic-minded community partners. We annually plan, organize, coordinate, and raise the funds needed to put on this Regional Hispanic Health & Heritage Fair that is the largest in Connecticut. Our goal, which is met and surpassed every year, is to provide free health, mental health, dental health, wellness education and prevention services as well as social services to our target audience. We target and reach out to those segments of our population who are recent immigrants, generally of low income, lacking in access to health care and who generally speak little to no English. A number of them are undocumented. We provide totally no-cost health screenings/tests and health & wellness education of all sorts. If someone is found to have a health or social services issue, they are escorted by Spanish-Speaking volunteers who take them directly to one of our service vendors related to their problem where they can then get direct help, and can even make appointments with them for on-going care. A primary goal, intensified in recent years, is to connect all people to what is called a “Medical Home”. Our tests and services are all provided voluntarily by a variety of health care organizations and agencies. This year for the 1st time we will no longer have Stamford Hospital’s partnership due to their staffing cutbacks. We are seeking alternative sources to replace the essential tests and screenings they had provided to us to serve this underserved segment of the population.The HACGS Board forms a planning committee each year. We raise all funds needed for the fair. It costs us only about $6,000 to produce this massive event annually because of the generosity of local providers who donate their time and services to us and absorb their staff’s overtime costs. It is a completely unfunded volunteer Council initiative. We can only do this through the generosity of local partners, sponsors, donors and supporters. They enable us to bring thousands of dollars of donated health, dental health, mental health, prevention and social services care and information to between 1,000 and 2,000 people. This increases and improves access to quality health care and reduces well-known health disparities in these populations.Our health fair sites are always donated to us free of charge. Last year and this year our host is DOMUS-Kids right here in Stamford. They also refurbished a boys and girls bike that we were able to give away as door prizes to two lucky children last year.Last year and this year Optimus Health Care, our regional Federally Qualified Community Health Center, has served as our fiduciary. FQCHC’s are authorized to provide health care to anyone (insured, uninsured, documented, and undocumented) from Greenwich to Bridgeport. Because they are a 501(c)(3)non-profit agency, anyone donating money to us or serving as a Sponsor, Donor or Supporter can claim their gift as a tax deductible donation. Make checks out to “Optimus Health Care”; in the Memo section note “HACGS 2016 Health Fair”.Walgreens of Stamford offers us free flu vaccines. They bill the insurance or Medicare for anyone who has that, and the rest of the vaccines are donated of paid for through sponsor funds; MundoNet Radio is running free radio announcements for us and will cover our event live; Stamford Board of Education and the White Plains Vet Center provide copying and printing for us.•Food needed to augment food donations •The rental of tables and chairs for the fair•Copying of fliers, posters and signage •Purchase of any additional flu shots above those donated by Walgreen•Door prizes and gifts for the childrenWho are your Sponsors and Supporters? (and continually growing) Platinum Sponsor ($1,000): Mod SolutionsSponsors ($500): County TV & Appliance, DOMUS-Kids, First County Bank, Global Health Systems Consultants, MundoNet Radio, Optimus Health Care, Walgreens Pharmacy-Stamford, White Plains Chiropractic & Wellness Center PLLCSupporters ($250): Stamford Federal Credit Union, White Plains Vet CenterOur Hispanic Health & Heritage Fair will be held again at DOMUS-Kids in Stamford on Saturday, October 15th from 9 AM until 2 PMhttps://www.facebook.com/HacgsHispanicAdvisoryCouncilOfGreaterStamford/