Expo connects to community resources

An effort to connect residents with community resources is moving into a bigger venue this year.

Project Community Connect Resource Expo will be held at Four Seasons Centre in Owatonna on Wednesday, April 30, from 12-4 p.m. In recent years, the expo had been held at Trinity Lutheran Church.

“We outgrew the space,” said Matt McLaughlin of Community Pathways of Steele County, one of the organizers of the event. “This expo has grown to include all services in Steele County.”

The expo is hosted by the Community Services Coordination Team of Steele County. The team consists of various social service agencies in the community.

McLaughlin expects to have around 50 vendors featured at this year’s expo. Last year, there were 44 vendors. About 300 people are expected to attend.

Organizers point out that a wide range of services will be featured at the expo, from transportation to food and mental health services, and even some that may be new to people. Some of the new vendors this year are Deaf, Blind and Hard of Hearing services, as well as Human Rights and Rainbowatonna.

Another resource available is Minnesota’s hotline for domestic violence, sexual violence and human trafficking resources and support. The hotline is making a bigger push to get out into greater Minnesota.

“We have just tried our best to think of the whole person,” McLaughlin said.

Added Starr, “We want everyone to connect and close the gaps in our community.”

The expo began 17 years ago as a way to help low-income families or people who need additional financial support, according to Robin Starr, also of Community Pathways.

Besides free information, attendees will also have the opportunity to enjoy complimentary lunch, haircuts, hygiene products and free legal advice from Southern Minnesota Regional Services, which offers the Justice Bus throughout the region.

“We are trying to hook up people with services in the community,” said Trina Kasper, a social worker with Owatonna Public Schools. “A lot of people are struggling, and if they knew about these resources, they would not struggle as much.”

The current trend, McLaughlin said, is that more people are seeking help in the community. He pointed to Community Pathways, which is currently serving 1,200 families per week. Four years ago, the local food shelf was serving only 250 families.

“We want to break the cycle of poverty and help get people over the hump,” McLaughlin said.

Affordable housing is another big barrier for people to overcome, organizers said. “You have to conquer all of these other areas to have stable housing in your life,” Kasper said, noting there are currently 175 children in Owatonna Schools identified as being homeless.

Kasper said many families struggle because of increasing living costs and “healthcare costs that are astronomical.”

Organizers said even the middle-class family is financially stressed today. Statistics show 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. “We think of the poorest of the poor, but many middle-income families are struggling,” Kasper said.

Interpreters will be available to assist Hispanic and Somalia people who attend.

Another added bonus is a bingo game. Attendees who stop at the various vendors will receive a piece to add to their bingo card. They will have the opportunity to win gift cards through a drawing at the end of the expo.