The annual Community Care Day Resource Expo was hosted on March 12, 2022 at the Tift County Recreation Department. This was the first time after two years to have this amazing event.

Attendance was good and participants of all ages had an opportunity to visit with 55 vendors who shared information about a wide variety of resources, including health care, recreational, safety, personal development programs, fitness, disability information, counseling, financial guidance, employment, education, social security, emergency services and nutrition.

Clearly, a broad array of resources was available to assist with different types of issues and needs, which are often difficult for individuals and families to locate and know how to access them.

The expo provided an important venue for bringing representatives of these different resources together, so families could understand their respective roles and how they may apply to their particular situation.

The expo obviously fills an important and needed role, and now with the pandemic at bay, we were glad to be able to pick back up with this annual event.

The event came about because of the work and dedication of many people across several businesses/agencies, together as a dedicated team.

The organizing and planning committee members were Jeff Howard, Tift County Recreation Department, Tim Petrea, Tift County Recreation Department, Craig Sowell, community volunteer, Chris Efaw, Liza Tillman, Rachel Elizondo, Brandon Hollis, Tift Regional Health Systems, Miriam Jordan, Tift County Board of Commissioners, Robin Rust, Woodman Life, Filiberto Hernandez, Tift County Child Abuse Council, Beth Lewis, Jay Deason Fund, Lillie McEntyre, Tift County Commission on Children and Youth, Lisa Daughtrey, parent involvement coordinator for G.O. Bailey, Kelly Pearson, parent involvement coordinator for Len Lastinger, Kim Willis, parent involvement coordinator for Northside, Mari Smith, parent involvement coordinator for TCHS, Stan Smith, parent involvement coordinator for North East Middle School, Jane Walker, parent involvement coordinator for Charles Spencer, Donna Hobby, parent involvement coordinator for J. T. Reddick, Dr. Shubha Chatterjee, ABAC, Cassandra Thomas, WBL Co., Tift County High School, and Christopher Paulk, CTI coordinator at TCHS.

They all worked very hard and were so supportive in helping in so many ways. We want to thank the following for helping to get the word out to the public; Tifton Grapevine, The Tifton Gazette, Tift Regional Health Systems, Tift County Schools, WALB-TV and Fox 31. We would like to thank the Tift County Recreation Department maintenance staff for setting up tables and chairs for the event.

We appreciate everyone who helped make this event a success with a special thanks going out to the vendors who gave freely of their time and resources. A special thanks goes to the Tift County Recreation Department for hosting the event and the Jay Deason Fund for sponsoring the hospitality room for all the vendors.

Thank you also goes to the Star Wars characters, Tift Regional Health Systems, and the Tift County Recreation Department for providing a fun experience for all who attended.

In summary, the event was a collaborative effort with everyone working together unselfishly to connect families and individuals with health, fitness, safety, disability and other valuable resources all in one location. Your work together was truly valuable and appreciated.

Beth Lewis, Planning Committee chair