MONROE - The Hope Evangelical Free Church Parish Nurse Health Fair in Monroe has been a worthy, valuable idea for years, but Saturday it was a reality.
Hope EFC's parish nurse, Lori Vogel, works at Pleasant View Nursing Home, and started the parish nursing ministry at Hope EFC less than four years ago.
Parish nursing is in her heart, she said. The idea has been in the back of her mind for 15 years.
"With any parish nurse ministry, it takes time to take off, " said Kris Wisnefske, Monroe Clinic Parish Nurse coordinator. "Lori is one of the most active parish nurses, I know."
Providing the fair as a community services was at the core of the venture, Vogel said.
"Nursing - like being a parent - is the hardest job you'll ever love," Vogel said.
This year, she put together the health fair with the support of her church and over 26 partners, and organized the color-coded booths for fair goers.
"My biggest goal was to make everything free. So nobody is selling anything here," she said.
The fair allowed a numerous health topics to be exposed to the public.
For instance, keeping children or pets in a vehicle while, an adult quickly heads in to the store, for example, is a risky behavior on a hot day, but Saturday in Monroe, attendants of the fair learned how risky.
The temperature was a comfortable 68 degrees outside a demonstration vehicle, but the interior reached over 112 degrees in just a half hour. Two hours later, it had reached 137 degrees.
No children or pets were in the vehicle, but Safe Kids Worldwide used the its demonstration to show how dangerous it can be.
Safe Kids was just one of 29 organizations invited to the fair to educate and inform the public about a variety of health issues. Some groups even provided free screening tests.
County, state and national organizations were present at the fair with information on everything from teeth to toes.
The Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation provided bone density screenings; Monroe Clinic provided blood pressure screenings; and Madison Area Technical College gave blood sugar and total cholesterol screenings.
Green County Aging and Disability Resource Center handed out samples of Meals on Wheel's apple crisp.
Grandmothers were happy to learn about Fowler Memorial Free Dental Clinic for children, said Anna Maria Bliven, the clinic's coordinator. The booth had 20 people stop in the first two hours.
Beverly Hauri, a certified massage therapist, was giving 10-minute chair massages.
"I have arthritis in my neck. I thought, I have to figure this one out," said fair-goer Brigitte Roeschli, Monroe, as she sat smiling in Hauri's chair.
Massage therapy is "very much a ministry," that involves the body, mind and spirit, Hauri said.
Other organizations explained medications, chiropractic care, natural supplements and diet.
Hope EFC members set up booths to present their various ministries with pregnancy, marriage, divorce, women, men and teens. They also opened their staffed childcare/ playroom, called "Hopesville," a child-sized town.
As part of her work, Vogel said she recommends certain ministries and groups for members.
"I consider myself very much a resource person," she said.
Vogel attended the Marian College parish nurse program in 2005.
"I started to attend the classes, without credits, because I couldn't afford them, until somebody generously donated the money for me to take the credits," she said.
Remembering the blessing still brings tears to her eyes.
The Peace United Church of Christ in Browntown will hold its Parish Nurse Health Fair Sept. 19. It is one of the largest health fairs in the area, said Monroe Clinic Parish Nurse Coordinator Kris Wisnefske.
Hope EFC's parish nurse, Lori Vogel, works at Pleasant View Nursing Home, and started the parish nursing ministry at Hope EFC less than four years ago.
Parish nursing is in her heart, she said. The idea has been in the back of her mind for 15 years.
"With any parish nurse ministry, it takes time to take off, " said Kris Wisnefske, Monroe Clinic Parish Nurse coordinator. "Lori is one of the most active parish nurses, I know."
Providing the fair as a community services was at the core of the venture, Vogel said.
"Nursing - like being a parent - is the hardest job you'll ever love," Vogel said.
This year, she put together the health fair with the support of her church and over 26 partners, and organized the color-coded booths for fair goers.
"My biggest goal was to make everything free. So nobody is selling anything here," she said.
The fair allowed a numerous health topics to be exposed to the public.
For instance, keeping children or pets in a vehicle while, an adult quickly heads in to the store, for example, is a risky behavior on a hot day, but Saturday in Monroe, attendants of the fair learned how risky.
The temperature was a comfortable 68 degrees outside a demonstration vehicle, but the interior reached over 112 degrees in just a half hour. Two hours later, it had reached 137 degrees.
No children or pets were in the vehicle, but Safe Kids Worldwide used the its demonstration to show how dangerous it can be.
Safe Kids was just one of 29 organizations invited to the fair to educate and inform the public about a variety of health issues. Some groups even provided free screening tests.
County, state and national organizations were present at the fair with information on everything from teeth to toes.
The Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation provided bone density screenings; Monroe Clinic provided blood pressure screenings; and Madison Area Technical College gave blood sugar and total cholesterol screenings.
Green County Aging and Disability Resource Center handed out samples of Meals on Wheel's apple crisp.
Grandmothers were happy to learn about Fowler Memorial Free Dental Clinic for children, said Anna Maria Bliven, the clinic's coordinator. The booth had 20 people stop in the first two hours.
Beverly Hauri, a certified massage therapist, was giving 10-minute chair massages.
"I have arthritis in my neck. I thought, I have to figure this one out," said fair-goer Brigitte Roeschli, Monroe, as she sat smiling in Hauri's chair.
Massage therapy is "very much a ministry," that involves the body, mind and spirit, Hauri said.
Other organizations explained medications, chiropractic care, natural supplements and diet.
Hope EFC members set up booths to present their various ministries with pregnancy, marriage, divorce, women, men and teens. They also opened their staffed childcare/ playroom, called "Hopesville," a child-sized town.
As part of her work, Vogel said she recommends certain ministries and groups for members.
"I consider myself very much a resource person," she said.
Vogel attended the Marian College parish nurse program in 2005.
"I started to attend the classes, without credits, because I couldn't afford them, until somebody generously donated the money for me to take the credits," she said.
Remembering the blessing still brings tears to her eyes.
The Peace United Church of Christ in Browntown will hold its Parish Nurse Health Fair Sept. 19. It is one of the largest health fairs in the area, said Monroe Clinic Parish Nurse Coordinator Kris Wisnefske.