Benefiting people in need

  Many people are in need, and many have no solution to their endless problems. The Service Fair is a solution, giving people in need a hot meal and other needed resources like school supplies and clothes.

The Service Fair was run by Douglas County Community of Care Network. This Service Fair was held at the Calvary Chapel in Castle Rock on January 27, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.

The fair was created four years ago, a total of six fairs. These take place during January and one in July.

The fair’s goal was to help people in need, by offering them basic supplies like food, school supplies, and even wellness checks. This was made possible by more than 20 different organizations.

The Service Fair benefits many, giving them supplies that would be much harder to receive without.  Rand Clark, Douglas County Community of Care, Navigator said, “In less than an hour a resident can apply for food stamps, get some needed house supplies, obtain energy or rent assistance and find out information about job openings.  Without this event, seeing each of those agencies might take a day or two just driving”

According to The Gathering Place, in the Denver area, 5,812 individuals were homeless in January of 2014. The group, State of Homelessness in America, shows Colorado has a 10.9% increase in homeless people.

Also, The State of Homelessness in America shows homeless people seeking shelter  often being very high, throughout all six years.

This is the Fair’s main goal to assist these people. Clark said, “This network is a collaboration of over 60 agencies, organizations, non-profits and others from across the county who are all working to provide assistance of some kind to vulnerable residents in our community.”

This event is a great way to help the people in need, through simple goods. As a community, we should create more events similar to the Service Fair. Eventually, as a community, we could solve this poverty and homeless problem.

Jordan Rust, Staff Reporter