Lemonade Fridays remove barriers to aid
Walkers along Main Street in Butler could pick up some free lemonade from Slippery Rock University Center for Community Engagement, Empowerment and Development (SUCCEED) Friday, Aug. 18, given out by representatives of community aid agencies.
Friday was the final SUCCEED Lemonade Friday of the summer, which Josette Skobieranda Dau, associate director of Butler SUCCEED, said was meant to introduce community assistance agencies to people in an informal environment.
“We had 18 to 20 partners and seven Lemonade Fridays this summer,” Skobieranda Dau said. “One of the goals is to improving quality of life and this helps to bring services to people who might not know about them.”
From 1 to 4 p.m. Friday representatives of Neighborhood Legal Services, Trilogy Wellness, the Lighthouse Foundation and Butler County Community College were outside Butler SUCCEED sharing information.
Each agency had information available at their tables, and Trilogy Wellness handed out Narcan for people to use if they need it for an overdose victim.
“We just want to get Narcan into the hands of people who need it,” said Kevin Reeves, care coordinator for Trilogy Wellness. “We have been giving out more and more each month.”
Nicole Coleman, a client advocate for Neighborhood Legal Services, said Lemonade Friday offered the agency an opportunity to get the word out about its offerings as well, which include free legal advice for clients.
“Realistically, how many people can afford an attorney when they need one,” Coleman said.
The Lighthouse Foundation had information about several of its programs, such as its food bank and transitional housing on display at Lemonade Friday. Again, the representatives of the agency said people may not know of the Lighthouse Foundation if they don’t see its work in the community.
“It’s just an easy place to greet people who may not know of us yet,” said Kierra Elder, communications director for the Lighthouse Foundation. “They may even be needing things that we have.”
Kate Buza, coordinator of professional education at Butler County Community College, answered questions from a man who was interested in the college’s welding program, which she was there to promote.
“What we like to do is get out in the community and show that we offer training programs to get people skilled and certified,” Buza said.
Skobieranda Dau said about 600 people interacted with Butler SUCCEED at Lemonade Fridays last year, but she didn’t yet have a count of how many did this summer.
Alice Del Vecchio, director of SRU’s Institute for Nonprofit Leadership, said community resource events like Lemonade Fridays helps remove the barrier for people who may be in need of aid.
“Just having a place for them to go and not have to have people come to them is a good thing,” she said.
