{"id":45569,"date":"2013-11-12T22:47:39","date_gmt":"2013-11-13T06:47:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theavtimes.com\/?p=45569"},"modified":"2013-11-13T01:42:47","modified_gmt":"2013-11-13T09:42:47","slug":"community-resource-fair-draws-hundreds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2013\/11\/12\/community-resource-fair-draws-hundreds\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Resource Fair draws hundreds"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
A long line of attendees wait for service at a Community Resource Fair Tuesday, Nov. 12, at Paving the Way Foundation, located at 44814 Cedar Avenue in Lancaster.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Parolee<\/a>
Parolee Richard Washington (right) was one of about 300 attendees.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LANCASTER \u2013 Having spent more than half his life behind bars, 58-year-old parolee Richard Washington said he was committed to making a positive change.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to not know how to be free, but now I like being free and I don\u2019t want to go back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ryan Henry, a recovering substance abuser, said he too was committed to turning things around.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have not had a drink of alcohol since December 28,\u201d Henry said. \u201cI need to start my life over and become a person of society, to be a better person all around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ryan<\/a>
Ryan Henry (right foreground) said the event offered hope and a second chance for people like him.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Washington and Henry took important steps toward their goals Tuesday morning. The men were among the hundreds of attendees who took advantage of a Community Resource Fair in Lancaster sponsored by Paving the Way Foundation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people who are here are either on parole, probation, out of work, or [have had problems with] drugs and alcohol,\u201d said Janie Hodge, Executive Director at Paving the Way Foundation. \u201cThis is a reentry environment. Our focus is on helping people get back into society.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tuesday\u2019s Community Resource Fair featured about 20 organizations and government agencies offering information on everything from expungement assistance and job training to housing assistance and social service programs. The idea was to offer a one-stop shop for ex-offenders looking to reintegrate into society or for residents simply looking to get back on their feet, Hodge said.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, in the times that we live, you don\u2019t have to have been in prison to need to get back,\u201d Hodge said. \u201cYou might have lost your job and couldn\u2019t find one for the last two years\u2026 We\u2019re giving everyone an opportunity to get some help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Fair was the first of its kind for Paving the Way, and the event drew an estimated 300 attendees, Hodge said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not have a clue that it was going to be this kind of turnout,\u201d she added. \u201cWe hope to be doing this at least once a month.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information on Paving the Way Foundation or if you would like to be notified about the next Community Resource Fair, contact 661-339-2733 or visit www.pavingthewayfd.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LANCASTER \u2013 Having spent more than half his life behind bars, 58-year-old parolee Richard Washington said he was committed to making a positive change. \u201cI used to not know how to be free, but now I like being free and I don\u2019t want to go back,\u201d he said. Ryan Henry, a recovering substance abuser, said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45569"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45569\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}