Around Hastings: Plenty of resources available throughout Hastings
A challenge of all rural communities is that of logistics, leaving families a long distance from the urban communities where convenient and high-tech services reside.
Medical, dental, psychiatric, financial, educational and vocational resources exist, but only when people can get to them. The lack of those services being readily available within a short drive or walking distance earns a community the label of being underserved.
Despite that label, it’s important for people to know that there are many resources in the Hastings area.
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Some are coordinated through the Council on Aging and are designed specifically to assist seniors over the age of 60 with a wide variety of needs. The Hastings COA is in the building next to the tennis courts at Al Wilke Field on South Main Street and they meet from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Another great resource in St. Johns County is Care Connect Plus which is comprised of Flagler Hospital specialists and over 100 community partners. If you or your family have a need, reach out to them and someone will take the time to see how they can help. To reach them, visit CareConnectPlus.com and then click on GET CONNECTED. Don’t have a computer or internet service? Then get yourself to the library.
The Hastings Branch Library is a terrific community resource under one roof and open five days a week. On Tuesdays and Thursdays for instance, Shanee Andrews is onsite from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to provide information and application assistance for many services including getting families in need help to pay utility bills, rent, repairs and more. The library also provides the space for the Hastings COA group to do their exercise programs weekly. All of this is free!
Need a document notarized? Call the library and make an appointment to get that done right there! Need computer access? Something printed? Stop in at the library and use their computer center. Fun programs for babies and parents, and children of all ages run throughout the month.
And Catholic Charities is on the library campus at 10 a.m. the last Saturday of each month to help provide food and other items that are needed by folks in this area.
To make use of the wonderful book, CD, audio book and DVD collections at the library, you need to have your free county library card which is good at any branch. Everyone in the family should have one! If you don’t have yours, just stop in at the library with your ID and ask for one. The team there will make sure you get one right away.
Real Florida Day Pass
That library card is even more valuable until Sept. 13. With your library card, check out the Real Florida Day Pass that provides free park admission to Florida’s state parks.
Florida has 175 state parks and, with your pass, you can explore new places while on your learning adventure. Check out a book from the library that can help you identify Florida’s wildlife, flowers or history.
Each pass is good for one vehicle, for up to eight people, for a single day. The passes are checked out at your library branch and returned there when you get back. Ask your librarian for more information on The Real Florida Reader pass.
County schools reopening
Schools will be open again on Aug 10, so please watch out for the children as they walk along the side of the roads to reach their bus stops. And remember to always stop when the bus driver puts out the large red STOP sign and comes to a halt. That indicates they are picking up or discharging students. It’s not only the law, but you’ll also protect our youngest residents.
The Team Up group will meet at 8:30 a.m. on Aug 16 at the Hastings Branch Library in the main meeting room. Residents, business owners, social service providers are all invited to attend to learn what’s going on around the area and discuss ways to participate.
Contact Nancy Quatrano at nancy@nlquatrano.com by 5 p.m. on Fridays if you have information about Hastings for this column. Put “Hastings” in the subject line.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Hastings residents can find help through community experts
