| Community Fair Fares Well
Rev. Jesse Turner says all it takes is planning.
This soft-spoken Weed and Seed Program Coordinator for Pine
Bluff, AR, attributes the success of his site's community
fair to early and careful planning. The Prevention, Intervention,
and Treatment subcommittee planned what to do and whom to invite,
assigned roles, and, sure enough, more than 450 people showed
up.
"You bring all the players together," Reverend
Turner said. "It will work every time."
In fact, this year's fair—and it has gotten bigger
each year—had more people from the community involved
in the planning than ever before. Sororities from the University
of Arkansas at Pine Bluff helped out, and even elementary school
students got involved, writing compositions about crime prevention
for an essay contest. This year's theme was "Take
a Bite Out of Crime." Reverend Turner and his staff publicized
the fall fair on local radio stations and cable television
and in newspapers and church fliers.
The fair showcased the neighborhood's progress and its
partnerships between neighborhood residents, law enforcement
officers, and all other collaborators in the Weed and Seed
initiative. It was an opportunity for programs to reach out
to the 3,600 residents. Years ago, it was difficult to get
groups to set aside their own agendas and gather under the
Weed and Seed banner, Reverend Turner admitted, but now they
are able to focus on the "common good."
More than 40 local service providers attended the fair to
share information on numerous topics, including home buying,
loans for home repairs, health screenings, free computer classes,
support for small businesses, parenting and youth support,
crime and fire prevention tips, and educational resources.
Berdia Williams, Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager
of Simmons First National Bank University Branch, said she
received several positive comments about the fair from customers. "They
said they enjoyed the fair because it brought out providers
to the neighborhood that they did not realize existed in Pine
Bluff," Williams said.
People told Williams they did not know about budgeting classes
offered by the Good Faith Fund or the new K-Life Club for youth.
Williams said the bank would now help spread the word about
the programs throughout area churches as well as among family
and friends. The Pine Bluff Citizens' Boys & Girls
Club also added new members as a result of the fair.
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