YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Project AHA! Advancing Health Access Community Resource Fair will take place from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Metroplex Expo Center in Liberty.

The resource fair will be presented by the Trumbull-Mahoning RISE Community Collaborative, a coalition under the Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries umbrella.

Resources and services that will be available to the public include:

  • Mercy Health and Warren City Health District’s Mobile Health Unit will provide free general wellness checks and health screenings.
  • Alta Behavioral Healthcare’s Youth Move will distribute free hygiene kits.
  • Raphael’s Department of Barbering will give free clipper haircuts.
  • Thrive 10:10’s Ruth’s Boutique will provide a limited amount of personal hygiene items and other supplies.

A variety of other community agencies will be in attendance to provide resources and information and connect attendees to services. People who receive screenings will have a chance to win gift cards.

“Community resource fairs like Project AHA! benefit the community not only because it brings various services together in one building to provide easier access, but also because it brings the community together. And at a time where there is no scarcity of issues that can lead to division, that is a resource in itself,” said Carol Holmes-Chambers, community solutions director at Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries who leads the RISE Community Collaborative.

Prior to the resource fair, a training event, Project AHA! An Equity Awareness Experience, will provide an opportunity for participants to recognize the diverse circumstances of those living with low income and how it limits access to services. The training will be facilitated by Sherri Harper-Woods, director of the Master of Social Work program at Youngstown State University and founder of the MiBoSo Asset Development Center.

The training will be followed by a discussion on the potential to address barriers within the community. The training and discussion will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Metroplex Expo Center. The cost is $15, and lunch will be provided. Register HERE.

For more information, contact Holmes-Chambers at 330 759 7921, ext. 1219, or c.chambers@goodwillyoungstown.org.