Rescuing Families celebrates fathers with community marketplace

Rescuing Families will hold its second annual Father’s Day Community Marketplace on June 15.

The event will start at 10 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. and is free for all. It will take place in municipal lot four behind Wendy’s on Hempstead Turnpike.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their pets as the events are pet friendly.

The marketplace will include 45 local vendors selling different craft items and artisan food, among other things. There will also be a food truck, Los Parrilleros, and live music.

Most of the vendors will provide artisan crafts such as air plants, original art, crocheted items and more. Marketplace attendees will also be able to enjoy live music played by local band The Everything Band throughout the event.

There will also be a dedicated Rescuing Families booth that will host pay-to-play games, wheel of prizes and cornhole throw, and sell t-shirts and hoodies that have “I helped restore hope #RescuingFamilies” printed on them, the proceeds of which will go to Rescuing Families’ upcoming projects.

There will also be a progressive 50/50 raffle that started at the first community marketplace and last throughout the season. The drawing of the raffle will be at the final community marketplace on Oct. 19.

Donations collected at the community markets throughout the summer will help fund two upcoming Rescuing Families projects, the renovation of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2718, in Franklin Square, and the Reyes’ family home in Valley Stream.
Centauro expressed the importance of the VFW renovation, saying that the building has fallen into complete disrepair and the veterans can no longer enjoy it.

“It’s just a space that’s not really accessible at all for anyone with a disability,” said Centauro. “It’s very challenging to use the bathrooms and any aspect of the building.”

She hopes that with this renovation, the VFW will be able to stay open and restore its status as the “center of the town” like Centauro said it used to be.

The Reyes’ home renovation will help make life more manageable for members of the Reyes family in Valley Stream. Doug Reyes, a man who became paraplegic who became paralyzed after a swimming accident when he was 18 years old and his father who has Parkinson’s have difficulty navigating their home. The hope is that with this renovation, it will be easier for them to navigate their home.

Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food and personal care items to donate to the veteran’s pantry, Vet Mart, located in East Meadow. Donations can be dropped off at the Rescuing Families booth.

This event would not be possible without the help of volunteers like the Valley Stream Key Club and H. Frank Carey High School Honor Society, Centauro said.

“Without the students help, we wouldn’t be able to do this type of event,” she said.

In keeping with the theme of the marketplace, Rescuing Families will be having a Father’s Day giveaway. Rescuing Families will be giving away keychain multitools while supplies last.

People looking to get involved are encouraged to go to the Rescuing Families website, families.org, for more information. Rescuing Families is always looking for volunteers, from people who can physically help during renovations to helping organize events and fundraisers. No prior experience is needed.