Inside the Woodstock Public Library Wednesday, things looked a little bit different. Right by the entrance, tables staffed by representatives from multiple agencies spoke with attendees about local resources, from how to prevent cancer to setting up an IPASS account.

The event was just the second of what will be a Community Hub held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. every second Wednesday of the month at the library, located at 414 W. Judd St.

The Community Hub is like a resource fair, acting as a one-stop shop for residents in need of assistance from multiple agencies, said Dale Kehr, University of Illinois Extension SNAP-Ed educator for Lake and McHenry counties.

“It’s just making it an easy place for people to come and get some of their tasks done at one time,” she said.

Each event will act as a revolving door of different organizations in attendance, and spots are almost all filled up for the year, Woodstock Public Library Community Engagement & Marketing Coordinator Leticia Goluba said. The first event brought in over 20 people last month. Even more agencies will be at the library starting in April, expanding to the upper level.

Kehr said she wanted to get a hub kicked off in McHenry County before the SNAP-Ed program she works under gets phased out after losing federal funding last year.

For over 30 years, the SNAP-Ed program offered free nutrition and healthy lifestyle education for people eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The program affects more than 1 million residents annually, with about 2,000 statewide partnerships, according to a University of Illinois Extension news release. Removal of federal funding for the program was announced in August. The cuts dropped over 200 jobs – more than a quarter of Illinois Extension’s workforce.

After over 20 years in the position, Kehr retires this summer.

But with the library as the main organizer, its Community Hub will be able to continue despite SNAP-Ed phasing out.

“There’s still so much work to be done and studied,” Kehr said. “Social determinants of health are where we really should be hitting.”

Organizations at this month’s community hub included Turning Point Domestic Violence Services, Dorr Township, Illinois Tollway, Pace, Options and Advocacy, University of Illinois Extension, Illinois Migrant Council and City of Hope. All were there to educate attendees about the resources the organizations and agencies provide.

“We’re here for someone who didn’t even know they needed us,” said Elissa Crowley, Turning Point Domestic Violence Services Outreach Director.

A mobile unit from the McHenry County Department of Health sat outside the library. Every month, the department uses the mobile unit to provide free wellness screenings and blood pressure readings, Goluba said. Other exams are available for a fee.

Woodstock’s Community Hub was born after the success of Zion’s monthly Community Hub, which has been running for nearly three years. Kehr, who started the Zion hub, reached out to the Woodstock Public Library last summer.

Kehr hopes the community hubs in Zion and Woodstock inspire other towns to create their own.

“It’s not that hard to do,” she said. “You just need the space, maybe have your janitor help put up tables, kind of network with people, and it brings people in the door.”

The Community Hub at the Woodstock Public Library is always free and open to the public to drop in. No registration is necessary. Any organizations interested in participating can contact Goluba at leticiag@woodstockil.info.