Summer is coming to an end and school is almost back in session. Help prepare your child for school by attending the 20th Anniversary of Mothers In Action’s Annual Back to School Health and Family Festival on August 4, 2018 from 9:00am – 1:00pm at Exposition Park’s Christmas Tree Lane 3911 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90037. The free event will provide 1,000 at risk underserved, school aged youth with free health screenings, immunizations, haircuts, uniforms and valuable community resources and information on free or low-cost healthcare, youth job opportunities, safety, sex trafficking, education, social services, healthy habits and much more while supplies last. The event caters to children ages five to 15-years-old. There will be free raffles throughout the day that include tickets for The Rams, The Sparks, t-shirts, gift cards, hats and more.
“Our late president and visionary, Brenda Marsh-Mitchell, recognized the fact that kids fail because they can’t hear, see, or feel well or don’t have the money or resources they need for supplies,” said Tracy Mitchell, president of Mothers in Action. “So she created the back to school to help diffuse the health issues that many underserved at risk youth in our community face because they have either no health insurance or inadequate coverage and to provide them with the tools necessary for a successful school year.”
Fabian Wesson is the event chair once again. This year’s co-chairs and sponsors include: Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. of Bakewell Media; Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas; hosting Councilmember Curren Price (CD9); Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson (CD10); Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson (CD8); and School Board member of District 1, Dr. George McKenna III.
“We are very thankful to our village of elected officials, sponsors, donors, volunteers and barbers because as a small non-profit 501 (c)(3)agency we could not do this without them,” said Mitchell.
This year’s event sponsors include: The Bakewell Company, Los Angeles Sentinel, Taste of Soul, LA Watts Times, Brotherhood Crusade, Cedars Sinai, CHP, Christmas in July, Holman, Hyundai, Kaiser Permanente, LA Conservation Corps, LA Sanitation, Office of Exposition Park Management, PAVA, RFP Insurance, Sandra Evers-Manly, 7-Eleven, Senator Holly Mitchell’s Christmas in July, The Cochran Firm of California, The Hutt Group, UDW, and Walsh Shea. Special thanks to Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer who donated of 1,000 backpacks, Yvonne Wheeler and SEIU 721 for the donation of water; The Starving Actor and Grayson’s Awareness Outreach for lunch for the vendors and attendees, our photographer Robert Torrence, volunteer barbers: Barber Tim, Patrick Muhammad and The Hair Artist by Deidra and DJ Jiji Sweet.
MIA is honored to have health care educators/providers that include Benevolence Health Center, Explorer -1, COACH for Kids, LAC+USC medical Center Asthma Breath Mobile, Special Service for Groups Trauma Recovery, The Children’s Dental Center, Watts Health Center – Dentistry, Watts Health Center, YWCA Greater Los Angeles and many more join our village to bless our youth with free health screenings and education at this year’s back to school health fair.
If you are planning on attending the event please bring your child’s immunization record if applicable. For more information on the event please contact the organization at (323) 290-0456 or email [email protected]. Participants interested in donating to Mother’s In Action can visit www.gofundme.com/miabacktoschool
