Women's Resource Fair Aims to Support Community

On Tuesday, August 13, Comanche Nation Family Assistance Center held a Women’s Resource Fair at Watchetaker Hall.

The morning session began with breakfast and lots of vendors to give information to those who participated.

Angela Clanton from Altus Air Force Base gave a presentation on self-care and what it looks like on busy days, as well as domestic violence.

Later, Comanche Nation Police Department held a self-defense class with Officer Ware.

Case Management Specialist Laura Gould said the focus is to get women the resources they need. She said there were participants from all over the state.

“We opened this up to the general public. We got our flyer out there, and then we told everyone that they needed to register,” she said. “So, we really invited everybody, and we were getting calls from, like I said, all over. We have a team that's coming from Walters. We have some ladies and their mothers that are coming from Anadarko. We have so many different women that are here from Lawton. So, it's really just like a broadband that we reached out to.”

Gould said events like this are necessary.

“What our program does is where women shelter,” she said. “We shelter domestic violence victims, women and children. So, I think the more resources we get out there, the better preventative it is.”

Gould said women and children suffer from the same struggles.

“Unfortunately, in this day and age, women are facing higher than normal rates of domestic violence, sexual assault,” she said. “And it's not just women that are encountering this. It's also children. So, our program is really geared and focused on providing safe haven, providing resources and really, you know, being there as a community as a whole to support them.”

Gould said support and help can come from anywhere.

“In order to become aware, it's really a problem that happens behind doors, and to get involved is coming out to events like this, participating in, like, our domestic violence awareness that we have in October and, you know, really just kind of picking up the phone,” she said. “We have people who donate all the time. We take clothes, we take hygienic items, you know, anything like that. So, to get involved, I would say, you know, it's just as easy as picking up the phone and giving our program a call.”

The day ended with chair fitness, inspirational words from Fort Sill’s Maj. Northway and a Native American Jewelry Demonstration with Gould.