On Thursday, September 10 we held our first Family Resource Fair for families in Jefferson Area schools and the 80214 zip code. In the past, resource fairs had been held further west in Jefferson County which made it hard for our local families to attend. Our desire was to bring the resources to the area where there is the highest percentage of families struggling to move out of poverty.

We held the event at Jefferson Junior/Senior High School and over 25 groups committed to hosting a booth at the event. Because a large portion of the families in our schools are Latino and Spanish-speaking, we brought in organizations that had Spanish speaking representatives and services. At the Jefferson Success Pathway booth, parents filled out a survey asking which classes they would be interested in taking. Our hope is to use this information to connect with organizations that offer classes in those areas.

Click here to see the parent survey.

The night was a success and a visible sign of the collective impact work being done in our area. Families spent time talking to representatives from the Jeffco Library to immigration lawyers. The great staff members from Home Instruction for Parents and Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) provided activities for younger children. We also held a raffle for families with winners receiving goodies from the Edgewater Chick-fil-a. Even Miles the mascot from the Denver Broncos showed up!

Our desire is to hold other events like this which connect area families with resources and organizations that can assist in empowering them to continue on the pathway out of poverty.