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Honey’s Helping Hands to host community health fair

By Cindy Ekas cekas@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read
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Edna Honey Brown of New Salem learned the importance of helping others because her mother, the late Edna Melvin, always took care of people.

“My mom was a great role model,” Brown said. “She volunteered at the food bank, and she did a lot of volunteer work in the community. She always took care of everyone in the neighborhood.”

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Brown and her friend, Gail Spencer of Cardale, created their own nonprofit organization, Honey’s Helping Hands Corp.

The nonprofit organization will hold a free Community Health Fair from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, at the corner of 297 Main and Grant streets in Uniontown.

“I started doing free food giveaways on my own several years ago,” Brown said. “I never ask for any proof that people actually need food. I just figure that they wouldn’t be standing in line if they didn’t need it.”

Brown said she has learned that some people are very close to meeting income guidelines for food stamps and other benefits, but they just fall short of the eligibility requirements.

As a result, Brown said she has been passing out food boxes every Monday and Thursday at the Bierer Wood Acres housing project in South Union Township.

“On Monday, we passed out 65 boxes of food,” she said. “This way there are no questions asked. Everyone who needs food qualifies.”

Brown is hopeful the health fair will also provide resources to those who need them.

“Everything is free, and the public is invited to the Community Health Fair,” Brown said. “We’re very excited about this event. We want people who need help in the community to come out and take advantage of it.”

A retired dental hygienist at the Fayette County Prison, Brown said she never qualified for any assistance, but she wants to make sure that others have what they need.

At the health fair, Brown said free fresh vegetables and cleaning supplies will be available, as well as children’s bicycles and backpacks.

Other organizations attending the event include Highmark Whole Care, East End United Community Center, Fayette County Behavioral Health Administration, Adagio in Uniontown, Uniontown city police and fire departments, Children & Youth Services, the Bruderhof community, Fayette Advocate with the System of Care, Love Closer, Western Pennsylvania Health Resources, The Bargain Shop, Gospel DJ (Million Dollar) and the Fayette County Drug and Alcohol Commission.

The Rev. Terry Sanders, the founder and CEO of Genesis House Ministries, a treatment facility for those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, will also attend. He is also the founder of Victory House Ministries & Community Outreach in Uniontown.

Gospel DJ (Million Dollar) will also provide entertainment for the crowd, Brown said.

Brown said many children’s activities will be provided during the event. The children can participate in face painting, play in a bounce house and enjoy snow cones.

“I just want to help people,” she said. “My mother taught me how important that is, and I want to carry on my family’s tradition.”

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