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West Hollywood resource fair spotlights more than 30 free social services and urges greater public awareness
Summary
Organizers and service providers at a West Hollywood resource fair said more than 30 providers offer free services to residents, workers, students and people experiencing homelessness and encouraged attendees to visit weho.org/humanservices to find referrals and contact the human services division.
A city staff member said the community resource fair in West Hollywood showcases more than 30 service providers and that all services are free to community members who live, work, go to school or experience homelessness in the city. "So we have over 30 providers, and all of our services are free to community members," the staff member said.
A presenter at the event said fairs like this let people "see what's out there, what resources are available, and they're able to utilize them," describing the event as a way for residents to access services they might not otherwise find.
Another presenter said the fair allows providers to meet the people of West Hollywood directly and to "connect with them and hear from them so that we can better create support services for that community directly." A long‑time West Hollywood resident who attended the fair said they still learned what the city offers despite living in the city for more than 10 years, calling the event "a really good learning experience."
A staff member with long experience at a local center said the networking aspect is valuable for outreach: "We get to meet each other, see each other, exchange new ideas," and that knowing more about city‑sponsored social services helps staff refer people during outreach.
Speakers also stressed collaboration to address the complexities of homelessness, noting that no single provider can meet every need. "When we think about West Hollywood and in any any area where there's homelessness, you think about, like, complexities and the clients have a lot of needs," a staff member said. "We need a tribe, and we need each other to better support our clients."
Organizers encouraged attendees to visit the City of West Hollywood's human services webpage for a full list of providers and contact information. "If anyone's looking for social services programs or any support, we encourage you to look at weho.org/humanservices," the city staff member said, adding that the human services division can provide direct referrals.
The fair emphasized outreach, interagency coordination and simple directory access as immediate steps for improving service uptake; organizers said increasing public awareness is the first place to start.
