RCSD Resource Fair brings community support directly to families

Rochester, New York – Rochester City School District families gathered on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, for a large community resource event designed to bring a wide range of support services directly to the people who need them most. The Student and Family Wellness Support Fair, held at Roberto Clemente School No. 8, turned the school into a centralized hub for health, education, and social services.

From mental health support to job assistance and housing guidance, the fair functioned as a one-stop opportunity for families to meet with professionals and community organizations without having to travel across the city or navigate complicated appointment systems. Funded through a New York State grant, the event aimed to strengthen the connection between schools and the broader support network available to students and parents.

Organizers emphasized that timing played a key role in making the fair accessible. By scheduling the event during school hours, families were able to participate while their children remained in a safe environment just steps away in their classrooms. This approach, they said, helped remove one of the most common barriers that prevent parents from accessing community resources: lack of time.

Inside the school, hallways were filled with representatives from health systems, social service agencies, and nonprofit organizations, all ready to speak directly with families. The goal was not only to provide information but also to create immediate pathways to care, employment, and long-term support.

Read also: Gun trace data report finds most Rochester crime guns originate from out of state while in-state sources continue to rise in share

For Audrey Lalonde, Student and Wellness Support Coordinator at School No. 8, the event was deeply personal. She explained that her own experiences navigating support systems for her daughter, who was born with a rare genetic illness, helped inspire the idea for bringing services together in one place.

“Even though I had contact with all these people, we never had them all together in a space. It was all phone tag. When I realized that was a problem for me, I realized it was a big problem for our families. That is why I wanted to bring everybody together.”

Lalonde’s perspective reflected a broader challenge faced by many families: fragmented systems that require repeated calls, referrals, and follow-ups before meaningful support is received. The fair aimed to eliminate that fragmentation by putting services side by side in a single location.

A wide range of organizations participated in the event, offering services and information across multiple areas of need. These included Golisano Children’s Hospital (Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness), Monroe County Department of Health, Health Plex, Person Centered Services, Parent to Parent of New York, the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of Children with Special Needs, and the New York State Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).

Additional partners such as The Children’s Agenda, Rochester Rotary, Rochester Works, and local case managers also engaged directly with families, helping them explore job opportunities, wellness programs, and long-term support systems.

Read also: Vodacek returning to Africa as Fulbright Scholar to advance international research on environmental monitoring of the African Great Lakes region

For many attendees, the event provided not only resources but also a sense of connection. Families were able to ask questions face-to-face, receive immediate guidance, and learn about services they may not have known existed.

School officials said the fair reflects a growing effort to integrate community support more directly into the school environment. By hosting the event at School No. 8, organizers hoped to reduce barriers and ensure that families feel supported both inside and outside the classroom.

As the day concluded, the message from organizers remained clear: when schools and community organizations work together in one space, families gain faster access to the tools they need to succeed, both academically and in everyday life.