Dickey Day raises awareness about healthcare opportunities and feeds the community
The Dickey Museum and Multipurpose Center hosted Dr. Dickey Day Health Fair & Feast of Sharing, its annual celebration of the birthday and legacy of public health advocate Dr. James Lee Dickey, (18931959), on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Fannie Robinson Park Pavilion, 206 S. Dolan St.
This year, the first since Dickey’s historic home was destroyed by arson last summer, Dickey Day was cosponsored by the City of Taylor and the Blackshear/O.L. Price Ex-Students Association in order to display banners promoting the event on City-owned property, such as Heritage Square and the Taylor welcome signs, to draw more attention to the organization for fundraising efforts to rebuild the property.
Nakevia Miller, the vice president of the Dickey Museum board and an organizer of the event, said the fair was an important opportunity to bring more awareness of healthcare opportunities in the area to communities who traditionally have been denied full access to them.
“The goal is to advance healthcare access to those who may or may not currently have healthcare,” Miller said. “I think that creating awareness around services that are available right here in our community is important.”
Miller said this was the sixth year she had volunteered for the event.
“The future home of the Dickey Museum is smack dab in the middle of the Williamson County Health equity zone,” Miller said. “Dr. Dickey was a doctor and a fierce advocate for public health. We are trying to create opportunities in his name.”
More than a dozen vendors participated in the fair, including Unbound Now, an antihuman- tracking organization, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, Baylor Scott & White Health, Williamson County and Cities Health District, which provided volunteers and coordination for the event, as well as the Black Men’s Health Clinic.
“They came from Austin,“ Miller explained. “They are working to rebuild trust with the healthcare system.
Jose Orta, a retired disabled veteran who recently ran for Williamson County Commissioners Court, Precinct 4, came out with pal Barbara Yerby to receive their free flu shots.
Yerby, a retired teacher, said she had just celebrated her 70th birthday the day before.
“I’m getting a birthday flu shot,” Yerby said with a smile.
Yerby said she felt it was important to show support for the Dickey Museum & Multipurpose Center.
“I think it’s important people attend events on the Southeast side of town,” Yerby said. “People need to be involved with the whole community,” Yerby said.
After visiting with vendors, community members were invited to a full Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings catered by Sirloin Stockade.
Miller said until recently, these were two separate events, and that board members like herself cooked the meal. In more recent years, more organizations have come together to sponsor it, including Samsung Austin Semiconductor, St. David’s Foundation and other entities.
“It’s really a community effort,” Miller said. “We all came together, and we are so grateful.”
Miller said the group effort makes a real impact in the community.
“I think creating awareness around services that are available right here in our community is important. We just want to help be a conduit for all things the government and our health care sector is providing and feed the community while we were at it.”
(From left) Nakevia Miller, the vice president of the Dickey Museum Board, visits with President Jennifer Harris and Trish Van Til, the executive director of interagency Support Council of Eastern Williamson County, Nov. 12 at the Dr. Dickey Day Health Fair & Feast of Sharing.
