All of Waimea and North Hawaii are invited to the second “We Are Community!” Resource Fair from 5-7 p.m., today, Dec. 4, in Waimea Middle School’s new STEAM Learning Center. It’s free and all are welcome to this casual gallery walk of caring support and resources for students, families, kupuna and the wider community.
Adding to the enticement will be Blue Zone-friendly snacks, bingo with prizes for children, a drawing for used Chromebooks and a free bag of groceries to take home.
The idea began as WMS Principal Janice English’s brainstorm to better connect Waimea Middle School, Waimea Elementary and the wider community with the many helpful services available on Hawaii Island. Everyone who comes will be given a passport to be stamped as they stroll from station to station with a reward of groceries-to-go from The Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s food bank.
Each station along the gallery walk will have information to share, from tips on safe use of social media to the Blue Zones Project’s Power 9 strategies for living longer better, plus information about reading programs and technology services at Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library. AARP volunteers also will be available to schedule free tax preparation help.
There will be help available to apply for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and signing up for Med-QUEST for free or low cost medical insurance. Experts also will be available to talk about what to do if you or a family member needs a physician, or if you know of someone experiencing loss or having thoughts about suicide.
North Hawaii Education and Research Center also is bringing its cool “owl” camera and mic technology used for distance learning classes.
No RSVP is required and there’s plenty of parking near the new STEAM Learning Center on the south side of the middle school campus.
Attendees can enter campus via the back gate near Kahilu Theatre or the main entry and drive to the building, parking along the entry drive and fire lane. Don’t block access along the fire lane and don’t drive on the field to protect sprinklers.
For information, call Patti Cook at Waimea Middle School at 937-2833.