Fair focuses on the community

Free swine flu vaccines will be a highlight of the third annual Community Awareness Fair, an event Tuesday that promises information and resources for Pasco County residents.

About 60 vendors will participate in the fair, set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Elks Lodge 2284 in New Port Richey. The vendors, said John Trouse, coordinator of the county's Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, represent a variety of public and philanthropic organizations.

"We're focusing on the entire Pasco community, people of all ages as well as the Hispanic community. We'll have interpreters," Trouse said. "It's important for people to understand what services are available to them and what those services are."

RSVP and the Pasco County School Board co-sponsor the fair, which about 750 people attended last year.

Guests can take advantage of free health screenings, courtesy of area hospitals, consult Career Central for complimentary resume preparation services and learn about services offered by organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Sertoma Speech and Hearing, West Pasco Habitat for Humanity, The Salvation Army, Pasco Education Foundation, SOLVE of West Pasco and All Children's Hospital.

In addition, the Pasco County Health Department will offer free swine flu shots.

"We often participate in outreaches in the community, where we send our staff to provide H1N1 vaccines," said Deanna Krautner, public information officer at the health department. "We like to be helpful out in the community."

Community outreach is the goal of other nonprofit agencies that will be represented at the fair.

"It's always good to get yourself exposed to the community," said Craig McCart, executive director of Sertoma Speech and Hearing Foundation of Florida. "If 750 people come to the fair, that's 750 people who may never have heard of us, who could benefit from our services. This is our opportunity to showcase what we do."

Debra Golinski, director of development at Sertoma, said information is only one of the things the agency will offer Tuesday at the fair.

"We'll be giving away information packets about hearing awareness, telling how things in everyday life affect your hearing. The little packets will come in a tote bag with a to-do list," she said. "And we will be giving away earplugs."

At its fair booth, West Pasco Habitat for Humanity will share information about its new ReStore opening in March at State Road 54 and Madison Street in New Port Richey.

"We want to highlight the fact that our store will move and expand and that we'll offer 'green' building products," said Seth Schlegel, ReStore director for Habitat.

Also available will be information about how to contribute to and volunteer for Habitat projects.

Trouse says all agencies represented at the fair benefit from their participation.

"The feedback we've gotten in the past two years has been very positive," Trouse said. "We've heard nothing but positive things about how the agencies accomplished what they wanted to accomplish."

Aside from free services and information, there will be free hot dogs courtesy of FMS Purchasing and Services Inc. of Clearwater, soft drinks courtesy of Coca-Cola and other refreshments courtesy of Sweetbay.

"People who come to the fair are surprised by the amount of help out there that they didn't know was available," Trouse said.

"This is a user-friendly event we want people to enjoy," he said. "This is something we do to really benefit people in Pasco County."

COMMUNITY AWARENESS FAIR

SOME BACKGROUND: The third annual Community Awareness Fair will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at Elks Lodge 2284, 7201 Congress St., New Port Richey.

COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS: A presentation of the Pasco County School Board and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, the fair offers free information, resources and services (including complimentary health screenings and H1N1 vaccinations) from about 60 vendors, all of them philanthropic and public service organizations.

A LITTLE HISTORY: Originally intended as a senior forum, the Community Awareness Fair has evolved into an event that serves everyone.