The ninth annual Many Families, One Community family resource fair brought people from Sulphur Springs Union School District and William S. Hart Union High School District out to have the opportunity to attend various informational sessions and walk around various organization booths at Golden Valley High School on Saturday.
The event featured 42 diverse booths from which families could obtain information, a play area for children to enjoy, treats from a bake sale, the opportunity to see a fire truck and a raffle for whoever wanted to join.
“This is an opportunity for the community to get together and we as organizers (Sulphur Springs) of the event, have gone through and built relationships with all of the organizations that are here,” said Denis DiFigueiredo, board president for the Sulphur Springs district. “It’s an opportunity for all those organizations to get together in one place where families in the community can come in and see what’s out there. I mean, so many times people need help.”
The topics for sessions at the event included impacts of social media on children, teen dating violence and social-emotional development for young children.
The booths offered information on subjects including insurance, mental health services and the Santa Clarita public libraries.
Elevated Behavorial Therapy was one of the booths that focuses on behavioral therapy for children and how their services help make an impact on the community.
“We primarily work with kids and individuals with autism and other behavioral difficulty needs. We are contracted with the school districts as well. We hire registered behavior technicians to provide the (Applied Behavorial Analysis) therapy,” said Sarkis Gharibian, co-founder and chief financial officer of Elevated Behavorial Therapy.
School Day Cafe, which provides children throughout local school districts with meals, wanted to emphasize how important it is for children to have full meals every day.
“If they’re not getting the proper nutrients, then they’re not paying attention in class, so, you know, their grades drop. They’re not performing well in their favorite sports. Like it’s nutrition at the core of what we all do,” said Elizabeth Donis, School Day Cafe registered dietician.
Donis added that food insecurity is always an issue everywhere and that the organization provides an opportunity for kids to get in a good meal.
The School Day Cafe booth was giving out little vegetable plushes and various fruits and vegetables at the booth, making parents and children alike smile.
One mother was with her son who performed at the event with his choir from Golden Oak Community School and stayed to get more information.
“I’ve been living here in Santa Clarita for five years, but I’m not aware of all of the community and resources that are out here, so it really helps,” Sandra Campa said.
With Campa’s first language being Spanish, the event also helped Spanish speakers with special headphones that had interpreters.
One thing Campa enjoyed about the event was the accessibility, having all the booths in one place and giving parents a great deal of information.
