Transition Fair to take place at Lynwood Baptist Church on Saturday

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Access Ministry will host a transition fair at Lynwood Baptist Church on Saturday, September 30.

Access Ministry Director Andrea Roseman said the primary goal of the fair is to… “try to make it as easy as possible for them to come to one place and get all of the information that they need to know how to move forward for kids and to do what’s best for each kid.” 

This fair will provide resources for students with disabilities and their families as they get closer to high school graduation, which Roseman said can be a challenging time for those families. 

“Life becomes much harder for them,” she said. “They have to figure out a new plan for their children. They no longer have the support of the school, and there are a lot of things that have to happen after graduation. Parents have to make the decision, are we going to be their guardians? Are we going to do conservatorship? What are we going to do?” 

A significant change for several families is finding employment opportunities for their children. 

One such place that provides those opportunities is Grace Coffee and Café in Cape Girardeau, which employs people with special needs. They will be at Saturday’s transition fair, and Grace Reliant Health Services President Samuel Duer said this is a great opportunity for the shop, which just opened this summer, to connect with members of the community and get the word out about the opportunities that are out there. 

“We get to go and talk about some of the things that Grace Reliant and Graceful Opportunities are doing, and how not only the coffee shop can play an integral part in transition for people, but also some of the other exciting things that we offer,” he said.

The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided to those who registered before the September 22 deadline, but all are welcome to attend the fair.