Health department hands out magnets
Officials spread knowledge of resourceful phone numbers
Beginning this week, the Warren County Health Department will distribute large blue and white magnets that list county phone numbers, including those of fire departments, food pantries, emergency hot lines and other public service numbers.
"We don't have the money to feed them, but we can find them the resources," said health department Director Ruth Walters.She said that in addition to Agape Ministry of Warrenton, several area churches, including Open Hearts Church in Wright City, offer some type of food pantry service.
In March, the advisory board distributed about 2,000 surveys to 25 different locations in the county, including doctors' offices, governmental offices and senior centers.
Approximately 444 people responded to the survey, which asked about several topics including suicide, health insurance, drug use, domestic partner violence, unintended injury and food stamps.
Advisory board members met Aug. 21 to determine how to address the survey results.
"We met our objective, it shows we need to communicate better so they - the public - can be informed and make better decisions," Walters said, quoting board member Mike Johnson.
Andy Hoffman, environmental public health specialist with the county office of Environmental Public Health, said educating the public is the No. 1 approach the advisory board is taking to respond to the survey results.
If someone is experiencing domestic partner violence, department officials can get the person information on how to get help, he said.
If someone uses the magnet, the family will walk by it every day; it will be a constant reminder that someone is there to help them when they're ready to take that next step, he said.
The department spent about $600 for approximately 2,000 4-by-7-inch magnets. They are available at the health department, located in the county courthouse on South West Street in Warrenton, and at the Environmental Public Health Office, located with the Planning and Zoning Office in the annex building.
Health officials said they plan to add more distribution sites to the list and could include doctors' offices and other similar locations.
The health department also will begin a segment on Live Wire with KWRE radio in an effort to educate the public via the news media, Hoffman said.
The segment's topics, while not final, most likely would include survey topics and would feature a local guest expert, Hoffman said.
