First Annual CHAT Fall Festival presented by Southwest Management District is a hit with the community
Culture of Health Advancing Together (CHAT) recently held its first-ever Fall Festival, bringing together local officials, partners, and area nonprofit organizations to provide Gulfton-area community members with health & education resources along with an afternoon of fun activities. The CHAT Fall Festival presented by Southwest Management District was held on Saturday, September 24, 2022, at the BakerRipley Gulfton Sharpstown Campus. Despite the unseasonal and unexpected heat, approximately 150 community members turned out to enjoy this inaugural event.
The festival brought together and spotlighting the many cultures and languages represented in the Gulfton area. There was fun for the whole family, with a bouncy castle, balloon animal artist, face painter, henna tattoo artist, and a snow cone trailer to help beat the heat. There was music and dancing, as well as fun art activities offered by the participating organizations. The families attending told CHAT volunteers that they had a great time and were grateful for the event.
Attendees had the opportunity to go home with free children’s ID cards, glucometers, bilingual books about pediatric care at home, as well as backpacks and school supplies. They were able to gather information about voting and local government, health resources available to them, educational resources available for their kids, and so much more. The most important part is that all of this was available in one place and with helpful translators nearby to help navigate the information received. To top it all off, CHAT help door prize raffles throughout the afternoon.
Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle and Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard joined CHAT in this celebration. Texas State Representative Gene Wu and US Representative Lizzie Fletcher also sent representatives to the event.
Participating businesses and nonprofits included: Asian Pacific American Heritage Association, BakerRipley, Brave Little Theater, Emgage Texas, Eye Center of Houston, Foundation for Better Education, Humana, LINK Houston, Memorial Hermann, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, New York Life, Pediatric Urgent Care, Ride with Refugees, St Jerome Refugee Foster, Wellbase, and YMCA. Harris County had strong presence with separate tables for Precinct 4, voter registration, and public health. CHAT volunteers provided voter education and information, as well as health education and resources through several stations throughout the event.
The First Annual CHAT Fall Festival was presented by the Southwest Management District. Event sponsors included Community Health Choice and Connect Community. Support was provided by BakerRipley and BIPOC Arts Network and Fund. This event was funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.
