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San Benito County seniors had an opportunity to learn about the different resources available in the county following lunch at the Pauline Valdivia Memorial Community Center in Hollister.
BenitoLink was among 20 organizations that participated in the three-hour resource fair April 5 that was organized by Jovenes De Antano.
Other organizations included the San Benito County Office of Emergency Services, the Community FoodBank of San Benito County, and the California Aging and Disability Resource Connections of San Benito County (see full list below).
Seniors who spoke with BenitoLink learned how to access the website, how to sign up for the weekly newsletter, how to translate the website into Spanish and joining the Facebook group.
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BenitoLink co-editor, content manager Noe Magaña speaking with a community member. Photo courtesy of Jovenes De Antano. The event also included free tax services and tacos.
Jovenes de Antano Executive Director Danny Barrera said about 60 people were in attendance for the event, including about 30 that registered for the tax services.
“The resource fair’s main purpose is so that organizations in the community can network with each other and get the same information and provide that information to our seniors and community members,” Barrera said.
Though the resource fair was planned to be held outdoors, rain forced all activities to be moved into the dining room.
“Despite the weather, everyone was in good spirits,” Barrera said. “Everyone was positive and had good attitudes and good motivations.”
He said despite the weather, only a few organizations canceled.
“I know that my seniors saw other organizations they needed to hear and needed to see and it was really good for them to have those resources right there in front,” Barrera said.
He said the fair went “fantastic” and he is already hoping to do another in six months.
“Something that made this one very successful was that all the participants, both the community members that came and the organizations, didn’t want to leave,” Barrera said. “They had so much fun they wanted to stay, they wanted to hang out and talk.”
Organizations that participated in the resource fair:
- BenitoLink
- San Benito County Office of Emergency Services
- the Community FoodBank of San Benito County
- California Aging and Disability Resource Connections of San Benito County
- Assemblyman Robert Rivas’ office
- Redemption Recovery
- Jovenes De Antano
- AmeriCorps Seniors
- Central California Alliance for Health
- The YMCA
- Health Project Center
- Alzheimer’s Association
- Poppy Jasper International Film Festival
- Youth Alliance
- the San Benito County Land Trust
- San Benito County Integrated Waste Management,
- Hollister Police Department
- The California Earned Income Tax Credit
- Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey
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