Rid-All Green Partnership, an urban farm in the Kinsman neighborhood, will be hosting its 4th annual Armed Forces Day Veterans & Community Resource Fair , from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. The farm is located at 8129 Otter Dr. The resource fair will feature more than 40 vendors offering health screenings, wellness resources, financial assistance, employment opportunities and much more.

Rid-All is encouraging Vietnam veterans to attend the fair so they can be honored for their service and receive a Vietnam Veterans commemorative pin. 

Live music will be featured throughout the day. Seminars during the fair will include yoga, a Cleveland Cavaliers children’s basketball clinic, a children’s farming clinic, a women’s health forum and a financial seminar. 

The first 100 guests will be served complimentary soup and salad. 

I spoke with Matt Eck, one of the lead organizers and executive producer of entertainment events for the Cleveland Cavaliers, about his involvement. 

Bringing Veterans together

“I first attended the event in its second year. I actually did an overnight drive all the way from Alabama to Cleveland just so I could attend the event,” Eck said. 

“I saw an opportunity to make it more of a community resource fair. I asked the farm if I could get involved and they said yes, so last year was my first year being involved behind the scenes.”

Eck sees this resource fair as an opportunity to connect with the community, particularly veterans, which hasn’t always been easy. 

“We know that the horrors of war are very extreme, and not something that the greater population really knows about,” Eck said. “When you are dealing with people who have been exposed to those traumas, it’s important to have a space for them to build that comradery with other veterans and have resources available to address their needs.”

Eck hopes that the focus on digital outreach this year will boost attendance. 

“We tried to change our approach in terms of outreach. We knew that we probably weren’t reaching veterans via the familiar ways of communicating,” Eck said. “We focused a lot on Facebook advertising this year, with the hopes that somebody may see it and pass the word on to family, friends and neighbors.”

He also sees this as an opportunity for the farm to continue to grow and gain exposure while bringing the veteran community together.

Eck added: “We are also exposing people to this amazing resource in their community, which is this urban farm that has garnered attention from all over the world. Ultimately, we just want people to come out on Saturday, have a good time, and put their hands in some soil.”