ROCKINGHAM — A pregnancy fair, designed by the Richmond County Health Department to connect new mothers and mothers-to-be with educational services and programs, is scheduled to take place from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7 in the health department lobby — and raffle prizes will be given away.

Health educator Allison Campbell said the department used to host pregnancy fairs periodically, but had not done so in “a while.”

“Back in September, myself and a couple of heads of other departments decided to meet and discuss a possible health fair,” she said. “So we decided we were going to have a pregnancy fair to promote the health department services.”

Campbell said a maternity clinic will be featured at the pregnancy fair, as will The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

Commonly known as WIC, the program “provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk,” according to the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service website.

“Pregnancy Care Management and the Richmond County Care Coordination for Children program will also be there,” Campbell said.

Pregnancy Care Management is a statewide initiative providing care management services for high-risk women during and immediately after pregnancy and is managed by a social worker or a nurse.

“Amanda Steen is the supervisor over that program,” Campbell said. “She will have a table set up at the fair where she will explain what her program is about and how it helps families.”

A section of the parking lot, Campbell said, will be roped off the night before the fair to ensure adequate parking spaces. There will also be curbside parking for those who are unable to park in the roped-off section.

“We’re going to have a lot of tables set up from different departments on resources for you and your family on how to take care of yourself while you’re pregnant,” she added. “And resources for your newborn baby. We’re also going to have a raffle at the end of the pregnancy fair. We have free raffle prizes. We have a lot of donations that came in from the community, as well as the health and human services department.”

Campbell said she hopes the raffle will be an incentive to bring people out.

“The health education department bought some of the gifts,” she said. “We also have Amanda Steen. She and her social workers bought some of the items. I have local businesses. Our Southern Roots donated crocheted baby bonnets, some for boys and some for girls. We have Simply Chic Boutique — she donated a onesie and a taggie — and she’s going to monogram it for free for whoever wins.”

She said they also have a diaper bag, purchased by the health education department and filled with baby items donated by Family Pharmacy.

“One of our social workers made these diaper cakes to raffle, and our director of patient services donated this (Graco) Pack ‘N Play, and a crib, I believe, from a grant she received,” Campbell said.

For more information about the pregnancy fair, call 910-997-8292.

Reach reporter Melonie McLaurin at 910-817-2673 and follow her on Twitter @meloniemclaurin.

Melonie McLaurin | Daily Journal Allison Campbell of the Richmond County Health Department displays one of several items to be raffled off at the upcoming pregnancy fair.
https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_PregnancyFair.jpgMelonie McLaurin | Daily Journal Allison Campbell of the Richmond County Health Department displays one of several items to be raffled off at the upcoming pregnancy fair.

By Melonie McLaurin

[email protected]