Arkansas DHS to hold annual Fall Food & Craft Fair supporting artists with disabilities

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Department of Human Services is gearing up for a food and craft fair Friday that will feature handmade items created by artists with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

The 7th annual Fall Food & Craft Fair will bring more than 20 venders and six food trucks to 7th and Main Street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The area will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The handmade items that will be up for purchase are made by beneficiaries served by DHS’s Division of Developmental Disabilities Services across the state. Some of the items that will be available include rugs, magnets, artwork and wreaths. Proceeds will go to the artists.

DDS Director Melissa Weatherton said that the artists take pride in selling their work and meeting the buyers at the event.

“Our beneficiaries spend a lot of time and effort making these items, and they are proud of the work that they do,” Weatherton said. “To see the smiles on their faces when you purchase something is incredibly rewarding.”

DHS officials said many of the products are also available year-round in DHS’s in-house store, The Blue Umbrella.

For more information on the Arkansas Department of Human Services, visit HumanServices.Arkansas.gov.

from KARK https://ift.tt/R4Guxa6