University Human Resources hosted its inaugural Well-Being Fair on April 29 in the Tate Student Center’s Grand Hall. UGA employees dropped in between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to experience a variety of offerings geared toward every aspect of their well-being.

“The Well-Being Fair reflects UGA’s commitment to supporting the well-being of our faculty and staff in meaningful and practical ways.” said Juanita Hicks, vice president and chief human resources officer. “By bringing together resources across the four pillars — your mind, your health, your finances and our community — we are creating opportunities for employees to invest in themselves and strengthen their connection to our campus community.”

The event offered a range of mini-sessions, live cooking demos, chair massages, a therapy dog and more than 30 tables with a variety of experts — and, of course, lots of swag.

Several campus groups were featured including UGA Staff Council, UGA Cooperative Extension, the Institute for Gerontology and the Office of Emergency Preparedness, along with local groups such as St. Mary’s Health Care System, Kaiser Permanente, Corebridge Financial, Piedmont Athens Regional and the University Cancer & Blood Center. Part of the fair’s focus on the “our community” pillar was about giving back. The event included a blood drive and a collection for items to be donated to the UGA Student Pantry.

Throughout the event, Tate Grand Hall was filled with staff members from across the university taking advantage of the opportunity to learn about resources available to them.

“I’m here today because of my taking a very strong interest in my mental and physical health,” said Carol Catoe, student recruitment and outreach coordinator for the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and an 11-year breast cancer survivor. “I’ve learned to value my health so that I can be there for other people who matter to me. It is so important for UGA to invest in its faculty and staff because we are the heartbeat of what makes UGA run and what supports our mission to be here for our students.”

Preparations for the Well-Being Fair were in the works since September, according to Joanna Manzi, assistant director of benefits and well-being in University Human Resources.

“It’s been my dream to do this event for the last couple of years,” Manzi said, as she created swag bags for staff to grab when they arrived.

Various tests and biometric screenings were also available to staff members. The College of Pharmacy offered blood pressure, blood sugar and A1C, hepatitis C and bone density screenings. “In order for the staff to provide the best care to the people they care for, they need to take care of themselves,” said Devin Lavender, a clinical assistant professor of clinical and administrative pharmacy. “Understanding where they are, what their goals are and what their risk factors are is really important for them to be able to perform their job at the best of their ability.”