Autumn Fest Resource Fair meant to help community
Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel booth at the Resource Fair on October 27.
By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — The 477 Human Services Department hosted an Autumn Fest “Fall Back into Resources” Resource Fair on Thursday, October 27 at the Sho-Ban Hotel & Event Center. Numerous booths, from both tribal and non-tribal entities, were present to educate of their services and a trunk or treat was put on for children.
Dustin Davis, Consumer Services manager, explained the event was meant to inform the community about resources in the surrounding area, besides the 477 Human Services program. Tables were set up by Consumer Services, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Education Employment & Training, Tribal Youth Ed., Voc Rehab from both state and the tribes, Idaho State University, Fort Hall Casino, Southeastern Idaho Community Action Agency, to name a few.
Davis said they feel like there’s a desperate need for any type of supportive services available to help out the people.
“We’ve been facing energy insecurity, food insecurity, and things like that – if you’re looking for a job there’s resources for you, we have work experience, we have VOC Rehab that can go ahead and help you with that. If you want to go ahead and look for a job there’s Fort Hall Casino that can do that. There’s Idaho State University that’s also located here, if you want to go ahead and pursue education or vocational training. The thing is we wanted to go ahead and provide that information for the people,” he said.
Consumer Services manager Dustin Davis.
Davis said with inflation and with no more COVID Cares Act or American Rescue Plans funding they no longer have as much resources to work with.
“Now it’s very expensive to afford food, rent is going up, gas is going up. With my particular program under Consumer Services we want to go ahead and try to provide benefits to people so they can go ahead and use their own resources to help themselves,” said Davis.
Additionally they have a food pantry available and there’s a monthly food drive every third Thursday of each month.
“We want to go ahead and try to fight these insecurities we know we can fight. In order for us to go ahead and try to help the community as much as we can,” he said.
Consumer Services relies on federal funds for energy assistance and weatherization, they also have tribal funds available to help in emergency situations for elders and disabled. People that don’t have a rent or power type of bill, like insurance are able to go ahead and apply for something like that. However, it is limited and prioritized based on need.
Trunk or treat for kids in the parking lot.
“We feel like we need to do something for our tribal membership, because we are always behind the curve when it comes to assistance and we want to go ahead and try to do what we can,” said Davis.
Davis emphasized his thankfulness to the vendors who came out to the Resource Fair and encourages everyone to stay ahead of their bills and keep up on their rent and power, but if needed, their program can help.
However, it may take some patience since they have numerous applications to process. In the meantime, he said to keep up and stay in contact with creditors, landlords and Idaho Power and Intermountain Gas to maintain a good relationship.
