South Bay Leader

The City of Long Beach invites Long Beach families and community members to the Healing Through Community Resource Fair on Friday, May 12, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at MacArthur Park (1321 E. Anaheim St.). This free event is hosted by the Long Beach Health Department in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. The resource fair, part of the City’s Mental Health Matters Awareness Campaign, will be a joint celebration for Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.

"As a community, we recognize the need to prioritize mental health and support our Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. That's why Long Beach is proud to host a healing resource fair in partnership with the LA County Department of Mental Health,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “Through this event, we're offering free food, music, performances, and activities to bring our community together and promote wellness."

Attendees will receive flower leis upon their arrival, free meals from Lee’s Sandwiches and can also connect with exhibitors from AAPI-serving organizations in attendance. The resource fair will raise awareness of local mental health resources for community members and provide information tables from local community-based organizations and businesses. Community members in attendance will also have a chance to win prizes from opportunity drawings. Throughout the event, entertainment will include mental health and wellness activities demonstrated by exhibitors, and community members are welcome to share their art through dancing, music, poetry and more on stage. The Healing Through Community Resource Fair is one of the steps the Health Department is taking to normalize and destigmatize mental health and create greater access to resources that can support community members.

“The Health Department is continuing to increase the accessibility of resources for mental health and wellness,” said Long Beach City Director of Health and Human Services Kelly Colopy. “It is vital that we create collaborative community events like this in the heart of vibrant neighborhoods in Long Beach.”

Mental Health Awareness Month and AAPI Heritage Month are both nationally recognized each year throughout the month of May.

This program is made possible in part by the Long Beach Recovery Act, a plan to fund economic and public health initiatives for Long Beach residents, workers and businesses critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than $500,000 in funding has been allocated to trauma-informed mental health resources and response. Additional information about the Long Beach Recovery Act is available at longbeach.gov/recovery.

The Mental Health Matters Awareness Campaign also aligns with Goal 4 of Long Beach’s Racial and Reconciliation Initiative to increase investment in mental health and trauma services, including facilities, professionals, community responses and culturally tailored resources.

Original source can be found here.