Approximately 780 residents attended Mother Africa’s second annual health and wellness fair in Kent.<\/p>\n
As attendees exited the Oct. 28 event at Mother Africa, 1209 Central Ave., they received food boxes from Auburn-based Cascadia Produce, which donated 200 food boxes, and the SeaTac-based International Rescue Committee, which donated fresh food and produce.<\/p>\n
The fair, set up for immigrant and refugee Africans, offered many services to community members and their families, like health insurance enrollment, Orca cards, free haircuts and much more.<\/p>\n
Kent-based Mother Africa advances racial equity through supporting African refugee and immigrant women and their families to reach their highest potential.<\/p>\n
The fair sponsors included Redmond-based Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation, Community Health Plan of Washington, Alpha XR and Lyft. Five small businesses from the community sold their products.<\/p>\n
The fair included 21 service providers:<\/p>\n
• A1 Smartphones & MPS Wireless. They provide our community with free smartphones; all they need is their government ID.<\/p>\n
• Mother Africa’s Building Sustainable Alliances for African Refugees and Immigrants (SAFARI). Mother Africa’s first program helps community members with resources and rental assistance.<\/p>\n
• Global Perinatal Services: provide African refugee and immigrant families with community-based doulas to help with their pregnancy and birthing journey.<\/p>\n
• Children’s Therapy Center: independent nonprofit that offers pediatric therapy programs in Washington state.<\/p>\n
• MultiService Center: nonprofit that offers rental and emergency assistance.<\/p>\n
• Public Health Seattle & King County: King County’s public health department. Offered Covid-19 vaccines and booster shots.<\/p>\n
• Puget Sound Clean Air Agency: Offered box fans and filters to our community and raise awareness about the different air quality levels and how to take precautions during wildfires.<\/p>\n
• Hopelink: Social services nonprofit that offer housing, food banks, and energy assistance.<\/p>\n
• King County Library System: Supports literacy and learning and offers information about the Kent Library and the different services it provides family and their children.<\/p>\n
• Providence Elder Place Seattle: Offered health care and social service assistance for seniors.<\/p>\n
• NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) South King County: Provided resources and raised awareness about mental health.<\/p>\n
• Washington West African Center: Played music and spread information about their mission to support West Africans with resources.<\/p>\n
• King County Office of Emergency Management: Provided our community with emergency kits and how to be prepared for natural disasters like earthquakes.<\/p>\n
• Northwest Harvest: Provided information about how to reach food banks and food assistance.<\/p>\n
• Amazon WorkForce Staffing: Showcased the different Amazon staffing and career opportunities.<\/p>\n
• Community Health Plan of Washington: Recruited eligible community members to health care.<\/p>\n
• Providence Swedish: Raised awareness and signed up people for their mammogram appointments.<\/p>\n
• YWCA: Recruited and shared with our youth attendees about the possible job opportunities, career coaching, resume support, and college applications support and services offered.<\/p>\n
• Living Well Kent: Provided the community with information about their work in youth empowerment, early learning, food access, and health and wellness.<\/p>\n
• King County Public Health Access and Outreach: Provided information as well as Orca cards, rental assistance and health insurance recruitment.<\/p>\n
• Channel A TV: Offered support, resources, and $1,000 for community members who are eligible to receive the Covid-19 relief fund but were unable to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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