YOUNGSTOWN — Jewish Family and Community Services sponsored an Aging Well Resource Fair Thursday, which hosted about 85 senior citizens.

The fair was organized to provide information and resources for aging adults, 60 years and older, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center in Youngstown.

The fair featured 23 vendors, both profit and nonprofit, that distributed information and brochures on various topics that would benefit senior community members. “This is the first time we’ve ever staged this program,” said Nicole Balog-Bickerstaff, senior outreach coordinator for JFCS. “We’re hoping to get some great feedback to help us do this again.”

Dorothy Davis of Liberty, among those who attended, spoke highly of the fair and urged JFCS to continue offering similar events.

“My sister, Bonita, recently suffered a stroke, so I am here for both of us,” Davis said. “I am taking home a lot of helpful information. I want to collect every brochure I can so Bonita and I can read them at home.”

Among the topics featured at the fair were eye care, hearing, home hospices, physical therapy, nutrition, skilled nursing, insurances and rehabilitation companies.

The Mahoning County Veterans Services Commission was also on hand to explain temporary emergency assistance, utility assistance, burial and headstone benefits, van transportation and nursing home outreach for those who were honorably discharged from active military duty and who qualify financially.

Sight for All United, a nonprofit organization based in Struthers, targets uninsured and underinsured seniors who have eye-care needs that are not being met. The organization also conducts vision screenings around town at various functions.

“We connect individuals to eye-care specialists for exams, glasses and surgical procedures,” said Leah Sakacs, executive director of the organization. “We also provide financial assistance through donors, grants and fundraisers.”

Balog-Bickerstaff explained the strategy of casting a wide net of vendors to attend the fair.

“We tried to gather a broad range of services that our elderly population needs,” Balog-Bicketstaff said. “By having these providers in one handy location, attendees can do some one-stop shopping and collect a wide variety of information and materials at one spot.”

Sharon Nwankwo of Youngstown attended the event after recently retiring as a teacher in Youngstown City Schools.

“The resources they are providing here help you with your particular life, whatever those needs may be,” Nwankwo said. “After you retire, your body changes. You develop ailments and generally slow down. This resource fair is a wonderful place to learn how to manage all those dynamics.”

While the resource fair was a first-time endeavor, JFCS offers similar programming for aging adults. Classes such as Caregiver Cafe, Tech Tuesday, Grief Group and Lunch Bunch are all available free of charge to those who may be interested.

“I believe we have a good centralized location that is accessible to a multitude of senior citizens,” Balog-Bickerstaff said. “We’re easy to get to for a large population of the elderly. We see many repeat visitors to our center once folks learn all the services we can provide for them.”

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