By Rosita Ventura-Gomez

On another sunny afternoon, Chowchilla residents eagerly waited outside the Wilson Middle School gym to attend the Community One-Stop Shop.

Created by the Madera County Department of Public Health, the One-Stop Shop is a community resource fair where resources and clinical services are brought to rural and underserved communities in Madera County.

“The goal is to link the community to healthcare services,” said Arely Cruz, Health Education Coordinator at Madera County Public Health. “My passion is providing services to the community, especially those in need.”

The One-Stop Shop not only provided Chowchilla residents with wellness checks, oral health assessments, vaccinations for youth, and blood donations but also food boxes and school backpacks free of charge.

“Today, we are offering vaccinations for children who don’t have insurance or Medi-Cal. We are offering eight different vaccines that will prepare them for the school year,” said Marylin Castro, a Health Education Specialist for Mobile Health.

These services provided by Mobile Health will allow students and parents to avoid the extra costs that a new school year usually brings. Not only were kids offered a variety of services, but also a free backpack and school supplies to help them achieve academic excellence.

Sophia Silva, a student in Chowchilla, and her family attend these events almost every year to access the free resources and join the raffle. With the school year approaching, Silva is excited to receive free school supplies, test resources, and anything else she can get her hands on for the upcoming school year.

“We really hope for our families to feel prepared for school because for a lot of families it’s a huge burden,” said Michelle Worrell, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for the Chowchilla Elementary School District. “I really want parents to feel that their kid is prepared for school.”

This event has become a saving grace for Tikeyah Thompson, a mother with four kids to feed.

“It saves me to be able to come to an event like this; today we didn’t have food at home, but they were willing to help us with that,” said Thompson while waiting in line with her daughter to receive a food box from the Madera County Food Bank.

If you or anyone you know is interested in attending the next Community One-Stop Shop, another event will be held at Dollar General in Chowchilla on August 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m