Groton — Dozens of human services providers set up booths inside the Groton Municipal Building Friday morning in a human services expo, to exchange information and network about what their agencies provide and who can help whom.

The expo, arranged by the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, brought together agencies that provide everything from emergency shelter to counseling and nursing services, so that members of the various agencies could meet one another and know who to call to better help clients.

"This team really has almost everything covered that you can think of," said Jennifer Granger, who took over Dec. 1 as chief executive officer of United Community & Family Services.

The nonprofit agency provides health care and community services and served 17,000 people during the last fiscal year.

The expo drew not only human service providers but legislators and aides, municipal departments that deal with the public like local police, fire and school departments, and representatives of churches.

Darcie Flight, who ministers to people in need through the Gleanings program at Groton Bible Chapel, said she found the expo helpful.

Often, when she visits a family to pray, she finds they have needs beyond what the church is equipped to handle.

Having more information will help her connect families to more resources, she said.

"Maybe something is really a struggle for them. Maybe it's a divorce, or loss of a job, or a child issue," she said. "Then we can refer them to an agency that is more qualified to help them with that."

A family might need professional counseling, or job assistance, or a program to help them complete their education.

"It's nice to have a referral program in place. By coming here, I'm able to get a lot of resources," she said. "That's our goal, is to really help the family get back on their feet."

Teresa Messervy, who handles community outreach for Head Start and Early Head Start, liked having all of the different providers of services under one roof, if only for a short time.  

Messervy, who works under the umbrella of the private non-profit Thames Valley Council for Community Action, Inc., said the expo allowed her to meet people in person from other agencies that she can later call.

"Now I personally know you at UCFS," she said. "So I'm going to refer this family that I know." So if a child at Head Start needs a dentist, for example, "I can call my friend over at UCFS. Because I have established that relationship."

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim