Resource fair provides information, opportunity to serve
Published 12:05 am Tuesday, January 16, 2024
As the DJ played music during a community resource fair in Salisbury on Saturday, the crowd gathered for some line dancing.
Daquan Coleman and baby Tyla enjoy the music and event. - Karen Kistler
HRC member Ampara Ramos, background, and Salisbury Mayor Karen Alexander, right, help serve the food and chat with Leonard Hall during the resource fair. - Karen Kistler
Theodore Riffle with Chewy spins the wheel to give some prizes. - Karen Kistler
Mark Ritchie with Racial Equity Rowan shares information about some upcoming workshops during the resource fair in Salisbury on Saturday. - Karen Kistler
“I’m happy. I’m delighted,” said Anne Little, diversity, equity and inclusion director, as she spoke about the crowd that was gathering at the annual post-Martin-Luther-King-Jr.-parade Celebration and Community Resource Fair.
As of 12:30 p.m., at least 321 people had come into the Salisbury Civic Center, located at 315 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., for the special celebration, which was held following the parade and was to continue until 2 p.m. offering a variety of resources for the community, health screenings, free food, a school supply giveaway and a DJ and local dance performances.
The Human Relations Commission hosted this event as well as the parade, and serving as sponsors for the event were Novant Health, Food Lion, Livingstone College, Rowan County and the city of Salisbury.
Twenty-five agencies were on hand at the resource fair providing information and sharing about the services and programs they provide and offered giveaways at their tables.
These included the Salisbury Housing Advocacy Commission, Salisbury Community Appearance Commission, Downtown Salisbury, Salisbury Police Department, Rowan Helping Ministries, Crosby Scholars, Communities In Schools, YSUP Rowan, Triple Threat Dance and Charm, Essie Academy, Pugh Real Estate, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta, Future Scapes, Families First, Salisbury Rowan AARP, YMCA, Community Care Clinic, Nzuri Doula Services, Ambitious Minds, Healthy Blue, Rowan County Public Health, RC Health HOPE Team and Novant Health/Piedmont Black Nurses.
In order to collect the school supplies or obtain a gift card, attendees had to collect at least 15 of the agency stamps. As people entered the room they made their way to one of the various tables to do so or to get a free hot dog, chip and cookies which was being served on the other side of the large room.
Serving the food were several members of the city staff and Human Relations Commission team, including Mayor Karen Alexander, HRC member Amparo Ramos, City Director of Administrative Services Kelly Baker and Claire Karriker who works in IT.
“This is the awesomeness that makes this happen,” said Little as she pointed to the team that was working together in service to the community.
Serving and working together were also mentioned by Mayor Karen Alexander as she shared about being at the event.
“We’re celebrating the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and so I think that he was all about service. He said no one can be left out of that. Anyone can serve,” Alexander said. “And I think this is a great example of that. All of our city staff, working together to serve the community.”
Multiple agencies noted that people had dropping by their tables and had been asking questions and things had gone well thus far.
Music was provided by Neak DJ and even before the line dancing and other performances began, people were enjoying the music and dancing where they stood.
That was the case with Daquan Coleman and baby Tyla as Coleman said he was there because he just wanted “to be in the community and wanted to be out here with the people and have a good time.”
Linda McElroy, communications director with the city of Salisbury, shared that the goal of this event “was to be able to not only supply children with a small refresh of school supplies, but also have one location to provide valuable information to our residents — seniors, children” and more.
Not only could they get information but, she added, it’s a great time for the community to get together.
“It also is a wonderful community fellowship,” McElroy said. “What we’ve seen in the past is people from all across the community just fellowshipping and enjoying each other and engaging. It is really just a great time.”
