Mother Africa draws 780 to health and wellness fair in Kent

Approximately 780 residents attended Mother Africa’s second annual health and wellness fair in Kent.

As attendees exited the Oct. 28 event at Mother Africa, 1209 Central Ave., they received food boxes from Auburn-based Cascadia Produce, which donated 200 food boxes, and the SeaTac-based International Rescue Committee, which donated fresh food and produce.

The fair, set up for immigrant and refugee Africans, offered many services to community members and their families, like health insurance enrollment, Orca cards, free haircuts and much more.

Kent-based Mother Africa advances racial equity through supporting African refugee and immigrant women and their families to reach their highest potential.

The fair sponsors included Redmond-based Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation, Community Health Plan of Washington, Walgreens and Lyft. Five small businesses from the community sold their products.

The fair included 21 service providers:

• A1 Smartphones & MPS Wireless. They provide our community with free smartphones; all they need is their government ID.

• Mother Africa’s Building Sustainable Alliances for African Refugees and Immigrants (SAFARI). Mother Africa’s first program helps community members with resources and rental assistance.

• Global Perinatal Services: provide African refugee and immigrant families with community-based doulas to help with their pregnancy and birthing journey.

• Children’s Therapy Center: independent nonprofit that offers pediatric therapy programs in Washington state.

• MultiService Center: nonprofit that offers rental and emergency assistance.

• Public Health Seattle & King County: King County’s public health department. Offered Covid-19 vaccines and booster shots.

• Puget Sound Clean Air Agency: Offered box fans and filters to our community and raise awareness about the different air quality levels and how to take precautions during wildfires.

• Hopelink: Social services nonprofit that offer housing, food banks, and energy assistance.

• King County Library System: Supports literacy and learning and offers information about the Kent Library and the different services it provides family and their children.

• Providence Elder Place Seattle: Offered health care and social service assistance for seniors.

• NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) South King County: Provided resources and raised awareness about mental health.

• Washington West African Center: Played music and spread information about their mission to support West Africans with resources.

• King County Office of Emergency Management: Provided our community with emergency kits and how to be prepared for natural disasters like earthquakes.

• Northwest Harvest: Provided information about how to reach food banks and food assistance.

• Amazon WorkForce Staffing: Showcased the different Amazon staffing and career opportunities.

• Community Health Plan of Washington: Recruited eligible community members to health care.

• Providence Swedish: Raised awareness and signed up people for their mammogram appointments.

• YWCA: Recruited and shared with our youth attendees about the possible job opportunities, career coaching, resume support, and college applications support and services offered.

• Living Well Kent: Provided the community with information about their work in youth empowerment, early learning, food access, and health and wellness.

• King County Public Health Access and Outreach: Provided information as well as Orca cards, rental assistance and health insurance recruitment.

• Channel A TV: Offered support, resources, and $1,000 for community members who are eligible to receive the Covid-19 relief fund but were unable to.

Twenty-one service providers were at the Mother Africa health and wellness fair Oct. 28. COURTESY PHOTO, Mother Africa