Connecting parents to local services was the goal of the seventh annual Family Resource Network’s “Celebration of Parenting” fair held Wednesday at Keyser Primary Middle School.
Director of the local FRN, Gerri Mason said each year she tries to make the event bigger and better by adding additional vendors to the event.
“New this year is the West Virginians for Excellence Disability Program as well as the West Virginia Disability Program, the Angel Food Ministry, Mountain Hospice, and the Medical Reserve Core from the Mineral County Health Department,” said Mason. “We are trying to expand every year. We almost ran out of room this year.”
Door prizes, face painting, marble painting were all activities adults and children participated in.  
Fingerprinting was offered by the Keyser City Police Department.
 “Our purpose is to bring parents together with people who serve them,” said Mason. “Organizations and agencies meet them informally to connect that way they feel comfortable going to service providers when they need help. We show them what’s available to help them make connections.”
  Also setting up in the KPMS cafeteria dispersing information was: the Potomac Highlands Support Services - Foster Grandparents Program, Regional VIII Adolescent Health Coordinator, Mineral County WIC, Family Preservation, Department of Health and Human Resources, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Mountain Heart Childcare Resource & Referral, Girl Scouts, WVU Extension Services - 4-H, WVU Family Nutrition, Community Action, Catamount Children’s Center, WVU Family Nuitrition, RESA VIII WV Birth to Three, Mountain State Psychological Services & CASA, Automated Health Services, Mountain Top Pregnancy, WV Prevention, Lynn Robinson - face painting, Keyser VFD, Keyser EMS, Clown - Sheila Golden, the coordinator for Independent Living, Prudential Insurance, Tobacco Prevention ad the Developmental Center and workshop.
  Mason said the majority of people attending the fair were parents and children who participated in the summer Engery Express reading program.
  Energy Express was hosting its annual open house at the same time as the parenting fair.
  “We did have a few come in from the street who said they heard about this event in the paper,” said Mason.