Rural Health Services offers assistance during Healthcare for the Homeless event at Gyles Park

Dede Biles, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·3 min read

Aug. 8—Hoping to find solutions to the problems he faces, Christopher Miller attended the Healthcare for the Homeless event Monday at Gyles Park in Aiken.

"I'm here to get some help," he said. "I'm poor and in poverty, and I'm homeless. Everybody who is homeless isn't a drug addict. There are some people like myself that want to work, that can work and that are dedicated. I just want to become a good member of the community."

A nurse practitioner and a doctor from Rural Health Services, which organized Healthcare for the Homeless, were available to answer questions. There also were opportunities to talk to representatives of government agencies and various nonprofits such as The Salvation Army of Aiken, Goodwill Industries, Mental Health America of Aiken County and Umoja Village.

Free food, hygiene kits and COVID-19 testing kits also were offered.

For Miller, Healthcare for the Homeless also was an uplifting experience because it showed him that "the community cares about people."

While at Gyles Park, Miller spoke to Umoja Village co-founder Donna Moore Wesby and also provided more detailed information about himself by filling out a form.

"From a cultural and ethnic standpoint, a lot of people feel more comfortable with someone that they can identify with, so we end up a lot of times working with the minority community," said Wesby, who is Black. "We connect people with the resources they need.

"We don't just hand them a brochure and send them on their way," she continued. "We ask them to do a needs assessment and ask them where they are and where they want to go. Then we follow them through the process (of getting assistance)."

Also during Healthcare for the Homeless, students from the Aiken School of Cosmetology and Barbering offered free haircuts.

"I love cutting hair and making people smile," said Cole Siry. "It makes me feel good to make people happy."

Kelvin Mathis expressed a similar sentiment.

"God blessed me with a talent, so I want to give back to the community," he said. "I enjoy it. It's fun. You meet different people and you learn something new with every clip you do on every person."

Healthcare for the Homeless was the first in a series of events that Rural Health Services is conducting during National Health Center Week (Aug. 7-13).

The annual celebration's goal is to raise awareness about health centers' missions and their accomplishments over the years, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers' website.

Through Healthcare for the Homeless, "we're just trying to reach people where they are," said Gail Diggs, director of outreach and community services for Rural Health Services.

Gyles Park is a place where some people who don't have permanent residences regularly gather in Aiken. It is on Park Avenue near The Salvation Army of Aiken's homeless shelter.

Other Rural Health Services' events during National Health Center Week are Agricultural Workers Day on Tuesday, Patient Appreciation Day on Wednesday, Stakeholder Appreciation Day on Thursday, Health Center Staff Appreciation Day on Friday and Children's Health Day on Saturday.

For more information, visit ruralhs.org/2022-nhcw/.