COLUMBIANA COUNTY Resource fair set for residents in need

Nearly 30 social services agencies will be represented at the free event.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A Columbiana County group is planning the first of what it intends to be an annual event aimed at connecting those in need with social services agencies that can help them.
The Columbiana County Resource Fair is set for 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. March 21 at the Robert Bycroft School gymnasium.
The school is on state Route 172, west of Lisbon in Center Township. The event is free.
It's being sponsored by Help Me Grow, a county organization consisting of area agencies that provide services to children.
Though youngsters will be part of the resource fair's focus, the event is aimed at more than children, said Jack Williams, principal at Bycroft.
The school is run by the county mental retardation and developmental disabilities board. The fair is intended for anyone who thinks they may need social services aid, Williams added.
The fair's organizers created the event because many people in need of social services were expressing frustration with difficulty in learning what help was available and how to get it.
One-stop shopping
The fair's goal is to bring together as many agencies as possible under a single roof, Williams said.
That arrangement will allow participants to shop for what they need and to speak directly to social services representatives about topics such as program details and eligibility requirements.
The upcoming fair will feature about 30 local, county, area and state agencies, including the Ohio Department of Health, Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army, Salem Community Center, Goodwill, Easter Seals and the Ohio Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation.
"We tried to get every organization and agency that provides services in support of families and kids," Williams said. He added that organizers are hopeful this year's event will be the start of an annual affair.
leigh@vindy.com