Because an aware and prepared community is stronger, safer and more secure, community members are invited to the Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Community Resilience Fair, 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16.

The free, family-friendly event will be at Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, 5315 Foothill Road.

The fair is designed as a comprehensive emergency preparedness and response forum to raise awareness in the community. It includes dinner, childcare, family activities, and raffle prizes.

“As an organization, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria has worked closely with Santa Barbara County and the city of Carpinteria to explore what it means to have a more resilient community,” said Jamie Collins, executive director of Girls Inc. of Carpinteria.

“One way to build resilience is through education. We want community members to know who to contact and what to do to prepare for and respond to emergencies,” Collins said.

Girls Inc. of Carpinteria was one of three Community Resilience Hub pilot programs launched under the guidance of Santa Barbara County in 2023. As such, the Girls Inc. campus has been audited for sustainable upgrades and prepared by the Red Cross to be an evacuation shelter during emergencies.

Part of being a hub will also include regular events designed to connect residents with resources and to create a better networked group of partner agencies.
 
“We’ve seen during recent emergencies that Carpinteria becomes an island separated from larger population centers,” Collins said.

“Part of being a more resilient community will be to create opportunities for the experts and the community to be in one place to make connections and keep community preparedness at the top of mind,” Collins said. “This will be our first event opening up the Girls Inc. campus for this purpose.”

Partner agencies attending the fair are: Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, the Red Cross, Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Carpinteria Children’s Project, Firesafe Council, Community Environmental Council, Listos, BWell, Tri-County Regional Center, Santa Barbara County Sustainability Division, and One Climate.