Queens Library HealthLink
Thanks to a generous grant from the National Network of Libraries, we have had the opportunity to distribute pens and magnets to individuals who attend community events and health fairs. These giveaways serve as a means of drawing individuals to our tables at health fairs and outreach events so that we can initiate conversations about health and cancer. This is particularly useful and necessary when we are discussion topics as stressful and frightening as cancer. These promotional materials also provide contact information for the American Cancer Society so that individuals can ask questions or set up appointments for potentially life-saving screenings. The pens and magnets are a useful beginning step in connecting individuals in medically underserved communities with health information and access to care.
Some of the events where we distributed the pens and magnets were: Wellness Fair at P.S. 200, Southwest Queens Health and Aging Expo (Ozone Park Senior Center), Pomonok Center Spring Carnival (at Pomonok Houses), Queens Gay Pride Festival, Astoria Blue Feather Head Start Health and Community Fair, Astoria Relay for Life (American Cancer Society), and Centro Cuzcatlán Health Fair in Jamaica.
When community members see the Queens Library HealthLink logo on the pens and magnets, they often remember and recognize it, rendering them more likely to share the valuable health information with their family and friends. The giveaways also help inform community members that the Queens Library is collaborating with various agencies to provide much needed services to meet needs that the library may not be able to meet without valuable partnerships.
Loida Garcia-Febo-
Queens Library
