Health fair showcases opportunities for students

In need of volunteer hours and health information? There are plenty of programs that may be a suitable fit for you; many of which were introduced to GHS at the annual health fair on September 29th.

Held in the GHS fieldhouse, students were educated on programs that take place in the community. Each table had a different program or topic that included a considerable amount of information to draw you in. There were wide-variety topics and useful information provided at each stand.

There were tables that explained both dental and medical needs. One of the tables was for Lahey Trauma Health, which included information on how to prevent trauma, how to teach the active elderly people, and to educate students on the importance of what is injuring them. Jan Ellis, a member of the program, explained what the trauma employees do for the community.

“We not only take care of trauma patients, but we also educate the community,” said Ellis.

Another group at the health fair was the Youth Advisory Council, which provides students with the opportunity to get community service hours while improving the GHS and Gloucester communities. They had white rocks and shells that people were able to paint positive messages on. These rocks will either be going outside of GHS or outside of city hall.

“The purpose of the rocks are to help spread positivity, spread a positive message around the town,” said junior YAC member Koryn Bolcome.

New members are always welcome if you are looking to join. It is after school on Tuesdays from 2:10 to 3:10, as they work on new projects each week.

If you or someone you know is a member of the LGBT community, or they are an ally looking for a place to go, the Gay Straight Alliance is the place for you. The GSA meets in GHS Adjustment Counselor Amy Kamm’s room on Wednesday every week during lunch. It is a place for people to talk and feel comfortable with who they are and not have to worry about what other people will say.

“We talk about anything that’s going on with us personally, or what’s going on in the community,” said sophomore Ky O’Neil, a member of the GSA.

There are some events that members of the GSA will go to together, if you are interested talk to Amy Kamm or go to her room during either of the lunches on Wednesday.

If you’re looking for volunteer hours or are looking to go into the medical field, or looking for a great opportunity to get hands on experience in a hospital, you should look into the Addison Gilbert Hospital and Beverly Hospital volunteer department. Jennifer Boucher represented the volunteer opportunities provided in different hospitals, like Addison GIlbert or Beverly hospital.

When asked what jobs will be available for students who volunteer, Boucher said “You’ll be able to sit at the information desk and help greet people, greet people in the different parts of the hospital, visit patients, or behinds the scene work which would consist of computer work.

“We only ask for one afternoon a week commitment for one hour. 50 hours is the minimum hours required for the season but if you’d like to you can do more,” continued Boucher.

If you are interested, call either hospitals and ask about the opportunity as they are always looking for more people, especially in the Addison Gilbert location.

A very well known program, known as the Open Door, was also there to provide examples of what this program may do for you. The Open Door is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help prevent hunger in our community. They hold fundraisers and have open volunteering that you can sign up for.

If you went to the health fair, there were many stands that you could visit to learn about different health programs in our community to get involved in. If you didn’t get a chance to go or want more information, contact any of these organizations or see Karen Hurst in the GHS Health Center.