All hands were on deck this week as Tanner’s Get Healthy, Live Well joined Tallapoosa’s Honda Precision Parts of Georgia and 19 other community partners to lend a helping hand in Haralson County.
The Hands on Haralson Community Week of Service was held June 7-16. Community partners participating in this year’s event included Get Healthy, Live Well’s Healthy Haralson committee, Honda Precision Parts of Georgia, Honda Lock, Bremen First United Methodist Church, Community Christian Council, Atlanta Community Food Bank, Haralson County Schools administrators, 3:16 Healthcare, Keep Haralson Beautiful (KHB), SyncGlobal, R.K. Redding Construction, The Blake House, Dogwood Garden Club, 4-H Club, The Pilot Club of Haralson County, Bremen Senior Center, Tallapoosa Senior Center and Haralson County Senior Center.
Hands on Haralson is among several initiatives that are part of Get Healthy, Live Well’s efforts to improve the health of residents in Haralson County. With help from the Healthcare Georgia Foundation’s Two Georgias Initiative grant, Get Healthy, Live Well is working to address the persistent inequities in health outcomes that disproportionately impact rural Georgians.
Throughout the week, volunteers came together to achieve a host of good for residents throughout the county.
On Friday, volunteers expanded the Tallapoosa Senior Center’s community garden by building two new beds while the Bremen Senior Center received a fresh coat of paint for their lobby area. Another group of volunteers planted community gardens for residents at Haralson Nursing and Rehab in Bremen. A third group built a pavilion at the Haralson County Senior Center in Buchanan.
A “Be the Match” bone marrow transplant registration event was also held at 3:16 Healthcare in Bremen where free snow cones were given to everyone who registered.
On Thursday, the Community Christian Council, in partnership with Honda Precision Parts of Georgia and Honda Lock, provided hot meals and food boxes to Haralson County residents. Get Healthy, Live Well’s Healthy Haralson committee partnered with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to provide about 12,000 pounds of fresh produce that were also distributed.
Employees from SyncGlobal also volunteered at the Bremen Food and Clothing Bank on Thursday to help unpack and sort boxes of food and drinks for distribution.
On Monday, Get Healthy, Live Well’s Healthy Haralson committee was at First United Methodist Church of Bremen’s Vacation Bible School to give away backpacks filled with healthy food. First United Methodist Church of Bremen provided funding for the food, and the Pilot Club of Haralson County provided support by shopping for the food and packing the bags. Get Healthy, Live Well provided the backpacks.
Throughout the week, volunteers also worked to clear walking trails, provide care baskets to residents with limited mobility and hosted an appreciation day for first responders.
As Honda celebrates its 60th anniversary in North America, the Week of Service is timed to coincide with the establishment of the first Honda business operation in North America on June 11, 1959. This was the company’s fourth annual “Week of Service” event, which is celebrated nationwide.
“This event is a lot of fun,” said Nattsu Ullom, human resources administrator at Honda Precision Parts of Georgia in Tallapoosa. “Our associates love it and enjoy it. It gives them a sense of being part of the community and serving the community. There is a lot of joy around it.”
The event has grown, from 425 activities in 41 states in 2016 to 593 activities in 42 states — as well as in Canada and Mexico — this year.
“We’re grateful for all of the people who are participating this year,” said Alicia Michael, rural outreach coordinator for Tanner Health System. “This event is a great way to showcase all of the wonderful work that takes place throughout the year across the county.”
Partnering with the community to achieve sustainable change is a major focus of Healthy Haralson, Michael said, and Hands on Haralson was exactly the kind of “all-in” effort the committee is trying to achieve.
“We’ve got about 120 community leaders and members that are working on six different initiatives through this Two Georgias Initiative grant,” Michael said. “Our goal is to focus on specific challenges in Haralson County to create a healthier environment for everyone here.”
For more information, about Healthy Haralson, visit GetHealthyHaralson.org. More information on Get Healthy, Live Well — including upcoming health opportunities and ongoing programs — is available at GetHealthyLiveWell.org.
