By Tatum Goetting

Mattie Rhodes Center is hosting a community outreach event at Budd Park May 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is rescheduled from May 8 due to rain in the forecast.

Molly Manske, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Mattie Rhodes Center, said the goal of the event is to build more of a sense of community in the Northeast Kansas City area.

“We want to build back the community we lost during the pandemic,” Manske said. “We’ve done a lot of outreach and coordinating for this event.”

The Mattie Rhodes Center is a nonprofit that focuses on behavioral and mental health service for the area. The event will have a community-oriented ambiance and environment, Manske said.

The resource fair will have interactive activities like games and bike rides around the park. It will also work to provide the community with other resources like potential college and job information.

Other activities at the event will include art and soccer clinics, which Manske said will be geared toward the children in the community. Exercise classes will be hosted at 12 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.

“We wanted to have an event that connects the community with different resources that are available to them,” Manske said. “Since it goes for five hours, the idea is it’s more of a drop-in event.”

The resource fair will be a monthly occurrence on the second Saturday until August, Manske said. 

The Mattie Rhodes Center will also be hosting a COVID-19 vaccination event at their office, at 148 N. Topping Ave., the same day.