Education fair offers help and hope to community

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Uniting & Healing Through Hope of Monroe County hosted an education fair at Blue Cross Arena on Monday. Dozens of vendors attended. Organizer Clay Harris says their hope is to build a foundation for the community and create opportunities for people.

For one high school graduate, this event helped him figure out what he wants to do with his life.

Nevin Snyder said, “I was lost when I got out of high school, and I don’t know what I want to do. Just being here, I’m able to see the colleges and different trades of the world that I didn’t even know existed.”

Snyder, like many students, graduated high school not knowing what career path he wanted to do take or if he wanted to continue his education. His mom, Sandy Garcia, took time out of her work schedule to make sure she could be there with him to take advantage of this opportunity to figure things out.

“It’s a little hard because you want to help and be next to him, but at the same time, I have to learn to let him go, and to spread his wings. And, he’s not going to learn that if I keep holding his hand,” Garcia said.

From colleges and universities to community organizations and resources, the fair had something for everyone young and old.

“There are so many people that are hurting. They need help. They need a job. They need services, they need a career, they need an education. And we want to do a one-stop-shop type of an event,” Harris said.

Opportunities some students say are new to them.

“I’m glad that we came here and we got to see all these colleges and stuff, because this is new. We never got this opportunity before,” said Razie O’Meally

Harris said they hope to continue to be an advocate for people, and students in the community, through events like this.