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The North Pend Oreille County Chamber of Commerce and the Kalispel Tribe’s Victim Assistance Services program combined to put on the community resource fair and Touch a Truck event at Ione City Park Thursday, Aug. 8.
It was the first of what organizers plan on making an annual event. Planning will get underway in October for next year’s event. The event was well attended, with 169 children registered. Guestimates put crowd size at about 500.
In addition to information, there were a variety of practical things distributed for free, from laundry soap to shoes.
The event attracted organizations from Spokane and elsewhere. Some of the organizations attending were the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office, the Kalispel Tribe Fire Department, the Weed Board, the Border Patrol, Pend Oreille County Counseling Services, the Girl Scouts, We Know Medicare, Rural Resources, Dr. Doran and staff, the Cutter Theatre and Head Start, to name a few.
There were more than a dozen donors for the event.
Jennifer Hampton, branch manager of the Ione and Metaline Falls libraries, answers questions at the library table. MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING
This boy was happy with the bird feeder he was making at the Tiger Historical Society table. MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING
The state Department of Health and Human Service was on hand at the resource fair, providing information on state programs available. MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING
One of the attractions were the various vehicles on display from fire departments and the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office. MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING
Right: The Kalispel Tribe’s Victim Assistance Services quickly ran out of the 100 backpacks they had to give away. They also provided shoes and school supplies. MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING
