Health Fair Guidelines

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How to represent FA at a Health Fair

A. Communicate with the health fair coordinator at the site to obtain the following information:

1. What is the purpose of the event?
2. Who will be the expected audience (demographics and estimated number of participants)?
3. Is there a cost for the health fair? 
4. Is there an application for the health fair?
5. Are there any limitations on the literature that can be displayed?
6. What is the date and time of the event?
7. Where is the event located?
8. Where is the table or booth located? (indoors or out, assigned booth number if available)
9. What is the size of the space, table, and number of chairs available?
10. Where will volunteers park? Are parking passes needed? How many passes are available to our group? Is there a fee for parking? 
11. Is there a map available?

Planning the event

1. Send all information concerning a potential health fair to your intergroup PI chair for approval and possible funding. (waipi@foodaddicts.org, eaipi@foodaddicts.org, or mepi@foodaddicts.org)
2. Don't be afraid to ask for help from fellows in planning and executing the health fair.
3. Literature for display may include all or part of the following (as allowed by the health fair hosts):    
   
   1. Confirm with your intergroup if literature is provided by them or if it needs to be purchased and determine who will pay for the literature.
   2. Local trifolds or the generic trifold in Spanish or English is available online. (Estimate number on the high side. They can always be used at meetings.)
      1. EAI Trifolds  
      2. WAI Trifolds
      3. Generic Trifolds 
   3. Additional pamphlets if appropriate, depending on costs and budget. Order them from the FA Store.
      
      1. Food Addiction and the FA™ Solution: for anyone who wants to learn more
      2. Food Addiction: Stories of Teens & Twenties in Recovery
      3. Food Addicts in Recovery the First Two Chapters
   4. Include Spanish language trifolds and pamphlets
   5. FA Book and copies of Connection magazine, not for sale, for display only.    
4. Consider bringing a tablet or laptop to show people the FA website.
5. Schedule delivery or purchase of an FA Tablecloth and/or FA banner(s). Some tablecloths and banners are available on loan from your intergroup (waipi@foodaddicts.org, eaipi@foodaddicts.org, or mepi@foodaddicts.org) or they may be purchased from the FA Store.
6. Determine the number and length of shifts and number of fellows needed to work the shifts. 
7. Schedule a minimum of two (2) or three (3) fellows to work the booth for each shift.
   1. PROTOCOL NOTE: One person working the booth must have 2 years of abstinence, others must have at least 90 days.
   2. Try to obtain volunteers with variable demographics that reflect the audience at the health fair.
   3. Create a Health Fair Volunteer Schedule with names, times, and phone numbers for volunteers including the set-up and take-down crews.
8. It is helpful if volunteers represent different aspects of the disease.
9. Schedule set-up and take-down crew. Make sure they know where to get banners and tablecloths and where to return them. 
10. Send information on location, parking, times, and what to bring to volunteers.
11. Notify Intergroup coordinator.  If your area has a chapter or intergroup with Health Fair or Teens & Twenties Area Coordinators, make sure they email a list of instructions to the FA members volunteering with the following:  
    
    1. Person to contact if there are problems during the health fair or if anything is needed.
    2. Size of area and equipment included (table, # of chairs)
    3. Parking passes information  
    4. Names and the phone numbers of others who will be working at the booth.
    5. Designated people in charge of set-up and tear-down

The Day of the Event (What to bring and who is bringing it)

1. A copy of the Schedule of Volunteers with phone numbers
2. Health Fair Essentials
3. Literature (as allowed by the health fair host)
   
   1. Local trifolds in English and Spanish. (Estimate number on the high side. They can always be used at meetings.)
   2. Additional pamphlets if appropriate, depending on costs and literature budget. (See list above)    
4. Distribute & review copies of "Suggestions for Health Fair Volunteers" with  volunteer fellows before their shift begins.
5. Individual volunteers should bring their pictures, but not display the pictures on the table.
6. Fellows should also bring lunch and/or dinner. The food should be eaten away from the booth.

After the event

1. Supervise taking down, packing, and transporting all FA materials. 
2. Return all tablecloths and banners borrowed from your intergroup or chapter.
3. Discuss the evaluation form with your service group and complete as soon as possible.
4. Send a copy of the evaluation form to your intergroup coordinator (waipi@foodaddicts.org, eaipi@foodaddicts.org, or mepi@foodaddicts.org).
5. Send thank you note to hosting organization. Ask to be on their mailing list for next year if this is an annual event. Also, ask the host organization if they would be interested in putting FA's website link on their school or organization's website if they have not already placed a link to FA's website.  Follow up with the FA Weblinks subcommittee at weblinks@foodaddicts.org. 
6. Assign members to contact any new person requesting additional information or any organization requesting additional contact.
7. Return Health Fair Essentials to storage location.