Children had their pictures taken with Santa at the winter clothing giveaway at Rural Health Services on Dec. 14.
More than 200 children were given new winter coats at a holiday celebration Dec. 14 at Rural Health Services' Women & Children's Health Center at 995 Clyburn Place.
"A lot of children, the reality is they don't have coats. They don't have hats. They don't have gloves," said David Irizarry, senior growth specialist for community engagement at Molina Healthcare of South Carolina, the event's sponsor.
Families started lining up at 9 a.m. for the event, which was scheduled for noon to 2 p.m., said Sierra Sheppard, public relations specialist and event coordinator for Rural Health Services.
Irizarry said participants were having a great time.
"The children are smiling and the families are together. You see the kids are getting hot cocoa, pictures with Santa, toys," Irizarry said.
"Just to see moms smiling, children having fun, it really makes it feel like Christmas," he said.
More than 410 people attended, Irizarry said.
By 1:20 p.m. all 200 coats, hats, and pairs of gloves had been given away, Sheppard said, and more than 20 people had signed up for appointments as new patients.
"By having it here in house, people can see that we are a state-of-the-art facility. Everything is brand new. We have great doctors, great providers," Sheppard said. "We just want people to know that we're here. People can get affordable and quality health care."
"We're not only providing coats, we also want to keep families healthy," Irizarry said. "Our goal for next year is to be able to schedule more than 100 appointments."
Rural Health Services is a primary health care provider and has four locations in Aiken County. More information about their locations and services can be found on their website.
One of the largest managed care organizations in South Carolina, Molina Healthcare provides managed health care service under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through state insurance marketplaces, serving more than 150,000 people in 46 counties.