IMPACT Communities, serving Garland, Rowlett and Sachse, will partner with the NAACP Garland Unit to host the 14th Community Health Fair and Back-To-School Rally Saturday, Aug. 20, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The event will be held at the Curtis Culwell Center, 4999 Naaman Forest Blvd., in Garland.
Special guests include Renee Napier & Eric Smallridge of the Meagan Napier Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the memory of Meagan Napier and her friend Lisa Jo Dickson who were killed by a drunken driver.
The annual back-to-school fair gives thousands of Garland families access to free clothing and school uniforms, immunizations, health screenings (including vision), educational seminars and free school supplies for Garland ISD and Garland area students who preregistered by Aug. 1.
“The goal is to help prepare families so that children are ready to learn the very first day of school,” said Jana Jansson, IMPACT Coalitions coordinator. “It is a one-stop shop and information resource designed to equip families with the back-to-school basics, including how to have conversations about making good decisions around not using drugs or alcohol.”
Children must be students in prekindergarten through high school and must live in Garland or attend a Garland ISD school.
Educational presentations for youth and their guardians will be available. Youth presentations will focus on healthy communication, performance-enhancing drugs, alcohol, prescription drugs, healthy relationships and stress-relieving yoga. Parents and guardians attending the event will learn about one of our flagship programs, Parent University. Presentations will include The 4 C’s of Parenting, A Prescription for Parents and In Plain Sight.
IMPACT Communities is a community coalition that serves the Garland, Rowlett and Sachse area by educating youth and their families on the health and legal consequences of substance abuse. It is a program of Drug Prevention Resources, Irving, Texas.