George Library resource fair successful
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 6 months AGO
The Department of Social and Health Services brought its mobile office to George Monday for the first Resource Fair at the George Library. Attendees could do almost anything at the mobile office that they could at the main office in Moses Lake, including applying for various state benefits.
R. HANS MILLER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Renew, Grant County’s mental health service, was one of the agencies present at the George Resource Fair Monday.
Representatives from the Grant County Health District offered a variety information at the George Resource Fair Monday. They had several resources to provide, including pamphlets for parents to use to facilitate conversations with their children about staying away from nicotine, alcohol and drugs.
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | April 10, 2025 3:00 AM
GEORGE — The first Resource Fair held at the George Library was a success, said Librarian Jeana Rushton.
“We had 17 participants,” Rushton said. “I was estimating 10-20, so it came in right where I thought it would. And since it’s the first time we’ve had a resource fair like this in George, we really weren’t sure what to expect in terms of turnout.”
The fair featured representatives from the Department of Social and Health Services, the Department of Licensing, Renew Mental Health and the Grant County Health District. The purpose was to enable George residents to take care of paperwork — renewing driver’s licenses and vehicle tabs, applying for benefits and so on — that otherwise would require a drive to Ephrata or Moses Lake.
The DOL and DSHS mobile units were the primary draw, Rushton said.
“(They) both had participants that came specifically for those services,” she said. “But Renew and the Grant County Health programs were able to talk to everybody who came, for the most part.”
Because this was the inaugural program, there were a few lessons learned, Rushton said. She had told the Columbia Basin Herald that North Central Washington Libraries hoped to hold another in the fall.
“I think next time we host an event like this, we’ll focus on morning hours rather than having it be all day, because we did have more participation earlier on than in the afternoon,” she said.
Renew, Grant County’s mental health service, was one of the agencies present at the George Resource Fair Monday.
Representatives from the Grant County Health District offered a variety information at the George Resource Fair Monday. They had several resources to provide, including pamphlets for parents to use to facilitate conversations with their children about staying away from nicotine, alcohol and drugs.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Endless battle
Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control
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BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24
COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.
Moses Lake author encourages women to look beyond church culture norms
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