Video: Walking Tour and Resource Fair Attracts Hundreds in Watts
On Saturday, May 18, 2013, Best Start Watts-Willowbrook hosted a Resource Fair at Ted Watkins Park in Watts that attracted more than 500 residents. The event started at 9:00 a.m. with a walking tour of several local community organizations, beginning at the Watts Labor and Community Action Committee.
The tour concluded at Ted Watkins Park, where another 40 organizations were on hand to talk with participants about services and resources that are available in Watts-Willowbrook and across South Los Angeles. These organizations included East Side Riders Bike Club, Shields for Families, Watts Health Corporation, Riley High School, California WIC, Cedars-Sinai’s COACH for Kids and Kaiser Watts Counseling and Learning Center.
Leaders from Best Start Watts-Willowbrook partnership shared their vision for the event, which was designed to get residents out and moving, while linking families to important and valuable resources located right in the neighborhood.
“We know there are resources but sometimes, people don’t know where they are,” stated George Baron, a member of the Best Start Watts-Willowbrook Leadership Group. “The objective of this fair is for them to know where the resources are, where are the schools, where is the closest clinic, where can they get specialized help for children.”
The event also featured entertainment by the LA County Arts Commission, which hosted J.A.M. Samba Dance Party sessions, and the Watts Village Theatre and Hoop it UP, which held hula hoop lessons for children and parents. The Watts Healthy Farmers Market was also on hand to provide cooking demos, face painting and arts & crafts activities.
