AUGUSTA, GA – Wallace Branch Library is partnering with Reduce Your Risk and the Department of Public Health to host the 2nd Annual Golden Blocks Block Party: Health and Resource Fair, taking place Saturday, May 4, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wallace Branch Library, located on 1237 Laney Walker Boulevard.

The Golden Blocks neighborhood holds a rich and historic value for the City of Augusta. During segregation, the area was the heart of Augusta’s black business community. Federal “Red Line” policies prevented citizens from receiving bank

mortgages within certain areas that were predominantly non-white populations, and businesses elsewhere in the city were allowed to discriminate against black patrons due to Jim Crow-era laws. In the Golden Blocks area, black-owned banks, insurance companies, theaters, and other businesses worked to offset this discrimination and thrived, creating a strong sense of community.

Today, this historic sector lacks pertinent resources that affect the community’s quality of life. This area is considered the urban core of Augusta. According to the Economic Innovation Index, the entire downtown Augusta area has a poverty rate of 26.4 percent, while the national poverty rate is 11 percent. This scale considers school dropout rates, the community’s access to healthcare, and unemployment rates. The partners for this event intend to educate and administer information, services, and resources to the community that will aid in developing and enhancing a lifestyle of good health and wellness.

Sandra May, branch manager of Wallace Branch Library says, “This health and resource fair is a reminder that the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System is a hub that provides free access to movies, music, books, foreign language

lessons, career readiness tools, college test prep materials, community gathering space, and more. But there are many patrons whose needs are harder for us to address alone, such as health and wellness. Therefore, we are partnering with our essential organizations to help fulfill essential community needs of tangible resources and care.”

A variety of local and regional vendors will be onsite to administer and discuss free or low-cost services and resources, such as Project Refresh, which will provide free showers, and Project Impact, which will conduct free HIV screenings.

Attendees can take advantage of other health screenings such as coronary anagrams and lipid panels, along with clothing giveaways, free food, Lucy Craft Laney Museum Tours, 40+ community resource vendors, live entertainment, and guest speakers.

Younger attendees can enjoy children’s crafts, a comic book giveaway, and check out materials and resources from the Augusta Library's Bookmobile, along with appearances from the princesses of Brown Beauty Magic-Doriane's Character and Princess Company.

Road closures for the event will include 12th Street between C.S. Hamilton and Phillips Street. There will be parking available at the Tabernacle Baptist Church and Child Development Center and the A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School.

Entry into the event is free and for all ages. For more information, please call 706-514-1033 or email lisa.wheeler@dph.ga.gov.

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