BEAUMONT, Texas — The Beaumont City Council on Tuesday presented five proclamations recognizing local organizations and upcoming community events, including a Jan. 31 health fair organized under the Be Well Beaumont initiative and a Jan. 17 screening of a new documentary about the Melody Maids.

Presiding officials opened the meeting with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance before announcing the proclamations. The council recognized United Way of Beaumont in North Jefferson County’s "Ladies in Red" honorees; Terrence Adams, the program manager for cancer prevention and the Be Well Communities collaboration, accepted a proclamation naming Jan. 31 as Be Well Beaumont Day and described the free, family-friendly health fair planned for 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at the Sheila Umphrey Recreation Center on the Lamar University campus. "This free family friendly event will bring together dozens of collaborative organizations, local vendors, and volunteers to make health awareness engaging, interactive, and accessible," Adams said.

Adams said the Be Well steering committee represents more than 40 organizations and that ExxonMobil is sponsoring the initiative with coordination from MD Anderson Cancer Center. MD Anderson representative Terrence Holmes offered brief remarks thanking ExxonMobil and the local partners. Organizers said the event will include a kiddie zone, a wellness corridor and giveaways, and asked residents to wear provided Be Well shirts and share event information on social media.

The council also issued a proclamation recognizing January as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. "Embracing Freedom is one of the only agencies in Southeast Texas providing these services to children and youth that are trafficked," said Britney Delagars, education coordinator for Embracing Freedom, who accepted the proclamation and described the nonprofit’s case management and advocacy work for survivors.

For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the council presented a proclamation to members of the 100 Plus Black Women of Beaumont and the 100 Black Men of Greater Beaumont. Speakers from both groups emphasized service, mentoring and opportunities for youth and thanked the city for the recognition.

The final proclamation honored Eloise Milam and the Melody Maids, a group the speakers said trained more than 1,500 women over decades to perform and represent Beaumont. KJ Connor, listed as executive producer and director of the Melody Maids documentary, and other Melody Maids representatives accepted the proclamation. Amy Lavoie, CEO and president of the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, said the 44-minute documentary will premiere Jan. 17 with screenings at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session. "Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster, $10, or you can buy them at the Beaumont Civic Center box office," Lavoie said.

The meeting concluded after the presentations. The proclamations are ceremonial recognitions; no council votes or binding actions were recorded during the session. Community members and partner organizations provided the event and contact details for the announced activities.