CAMDEN — A Healthy Ouachita County, aka AHOC, met Tuesday for the first time since May to reflect on the organization’s accomplishments since it was founded.
Members of AHOC found out that they would have to elect a new secretary because the secretary, Melissa Shatley, has taken a job teaching third grade at Ivory Primary School. Rebecca Wright will be serving as the interim secretary until the group elects officers in November.
While AHOC members were waiting on their speaker, they talked about what they have been working on since the last meeting. Sharron Ekpe talked about the success of the CPR classes she organized in August. She also said that she hopes to schedule another class in October.
Wright told everyone about the free diabetic classes for seniors that will be taking place at the Ouachita County Health Unit. The classes will start Sept. 27 and will be at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays for six weeks. She stated that anyone interested needs to call 870-836-5033 to register before Friday, Sept. 23.
Wright also updated everyone about the upcoming flu shot clinics. She stated that the mass flu clinic for the county will be Nov. 8, and that this year, there will only be injections. The flu mist vaccine will not be available. She said that notifications will be sent out closer to the date.
Addie Wilson from the Ouachita County Extension Office told everyone that the Ouachita County Extension Homemakers will be hosting its Autumn Market from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Oct. 14 at First Presbyterian Church. She said that the market is “real cute” and they will serve lunch beginning at 11 a.m. for the cost of $7.50.
The speaker for the AHOC meeting was Melissa Shatley, and she showed a PowerPoint presentation that highlighted important moments in the history of AHOC. The organization began as the Ouachita County Hometown Health Initiative and held its kickoff meeting on Nov. 6, 2002.
Although it has been 14 years, the mission and vision of the group has not changed much. Shatley read off the group’s original mission statement: “The mission of AHOC is to harness the power of every individual through education and training, and to make our community healthier, stronger, safer, and better prepared to help promote and maintain a healthy lifestyle and community.”
The vision statement was read as well: “To develop a healthy environment and feeling of well being for the diverse population of Ouachita County. All members of AHOC are committed to serve with professionalism, respect, and concern for our community and to optimize the use of all available resources, in order to react to any health and quality of life issues. The group is mission oriented in all of its priorities and activities.”
Shatley added: “Our mission and vision hasn’t changed much since then, has it?”
AHOC conducted surveys around the community to discover what issues needed to be addressed in 2003 and again a few years later. In 2004, the group voted to adopt education and prevention as its project.
This is still a focus for AHOC.
Shatley said that when AHOC began, the money would go to The Christian Health Center, which would decide how the money would be used. It wasn’t until 2008 that the group was granted 501(c)(3) status.
“I didn’t really know what that meant when I came on to AHOC, so I decided to include the definition on my slide show," Shatley stated. “Being ‘501(c)(3)’ means that a particular nonprofit organization have been approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt, charitable organization. ‘Charitable’ is broadly defined as being established for purposes that are religious, educational, charitable, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering of national or international amateur sports, prevention of cruelty to animals and children."
“Now, we are a bunch of those, aren’t we?” Shatley said about the definition of charitable.
She shared some of the information and events in which AHOC took part. She stated that the organization started a newsletter called “Savvy Senior Segments,” which printed recipes and health tips for senior citizens. Members of AHOC began posting signs warning residents of the dangers of drinking and driving around the holiday season, as well as holding courses in schools where student would wear “drunk goggles” and perform normal tasks to show how much drinking can influence reactions. The Walk Across Ouachita County was also started to get residents up and moving.
In 2005, a resource guide was published. Wright stated that it has been updated, but it is too expensive to print and can now be found online on the Camden Area Chamber of Commerce’s website. AHOC began sponsoring “You Docs” advice featuring Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Mike Roizen in the Camden News in 2012. Shatley asked if anyone knew if it was still in the newspaper and Wright said that it was, but that AHOC no longer paid for it.
Shatley concluded with thanking everyone in the room for their time and efforts because without them, AHOC would not still be operating and helping the community 14 years later.