Resource fair on its way to become staple in community

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Riding on the success of Strathmore’s first inter-agency resource fair, the organizers of the Helping Hands Winter Gifts event are already in preparation for next year with expectations of a greater community turnout, the attraction of more sponsors, and the participation of nearly a dozen more local agencies.
Nearly 250 community members attended the resource fair on Jan. 30, that sought the assembly of 21 agencies, offered free food, clothing and toys, and featured speeches by prominent politicians such as Strathmore Mayor Michael Ell, MLA Derek Fildebrandt, MP Martin Shields, and Siksika First Nations Chief Vincent Yellow Old Woman.
“It was better than I thought, there were more people who wanted to network and there were more people coming through the door than I expected,” said Richard Rodgers, the main organizer for the event and outreach director for the Strathmore Overnight Shelter (SOS).
“I think it’s necessary but even with the economy down, people still need clothing, people still need canned goods. Hopefully next year we’ll get more agencies, I’m looking for 30 next year, and maybe a bigger building too.”
Despite facing obstacles such as having only five weeks to send out notices, and a lack of timely advertising, Rodgers is optimistic about forging ahead with plans for the next event, giving him 12 months to prepare. While he was impressed with the 13 sponsors the event attracted at the end of last month, he is hoping to gain more over the next months, and interact with as many agencies in Strathmore as possible.
“It doesn’t matter how small you are we welcome every agency that helps people or keeps them from being bored at home,” Rodgers added. “The agencies said it was a positive thing with the networking, especially with Siksika resources being there. Connections that haven’t been there, were made during the event. It’s not for entertainment purposes but for agencies working together as a preventative thing.”
The Pregnancy Care Centre, Advocacy in Motion (AIMS), the Strathmore Municipal Library, and Siksika Health Services were among the 21 agencies who participated in the event, handing out information and offering resources. The Helping Hands Winter Gifts, which was created to inform the community about free and accessible services within the community, also received numerous donations, some of which are currently stored at the Harvest Healing Centre Church, ready to be dispersed to anyone who’s interested or in need of the items.
Many of the agencies, including some Siksika-based services, have already expressed interest in participating next year. According to Rodgers, his vision is to see the event become an annual thing, independent of a fluctuating economy.