A couple of months ago, I came across a request asking for vendor for a fair. This was the first year that it was taking place, and I looked into it to see if it would be something I wanted to participate in. Let me tell you, the more I looked into it, the more I loved it. I met with the founders and organizers to find out more, and over the last few weeks have been meeting with some of the vendors. I am so excited to be a part of this, and look forward to where it will go in the future.
For the next couple of months I will be doing a blog series on some of the amazing vendors participating in the Labor of Love Fair. But first, I wanted to hear about what the fair is all about, straight from the two wonderful ladies who put it all together, Chelsea and Elizabeth. Sitting down and talking with them, it was very apparent how passionate they are about serving expecting moms and young families. Here's what they had to say.
*What is the Labor of Love Fair?
The Labor of Love Fair is a free event for pregnant people, parents, and families to explore information, local resources, products, and services. There will be 60 vendors present to represent different fields of childcare, birth work, and prenatal specialists. There will also be a self-care section, a little shopping, and some fun activities for children of all ages. The purpose of the event is to provide a fun, educational day for people of all ages. We will also be giving out raffle tickets at the fair in exchange for donations of diapers, wipes, formula, and bottles to be given to Denton County Friends of the Family.
*Where did the idea come from?
As moms, we were discussing the fact that we were unaware of all the options there are when it comes to birthing babies, postpartum care, and the like. Had we only known, maybe we could have found support when we were struggling with breast feeding or anxiety. Maybe if someone had told us the importance of self-care early on we would have taken more time to for ourselves. Maybe if we knew about all of the resources available it would have made a huge difference in our lives. So we asked ourselves, what if there was a way to get this information out into our community? What if people knew that you don't have to be a hippie to use a midwife and that you can have a doula at your c-section for support? What if we could support local businesses and makers somehow while helping parents? What if we gave birth workers from all fields a place to network and become part of a community? What if people could learn about cord blood banking, birth photography, and cloth diapering all during one event? The what ifs went on and on and so the Labor of Love Fair was born.
*What are the long & short term goals?
The short term goal is providing a very successful event for our community and making it an annual event. The long term goal is that we turn the Labor of Love into a non-profit that works year round to provide support and resources to people. We are working toward obtaining an office space with room for birth workers to hold classes, meet ups, and other events. We want to be able to provide options to people for finding healthcare and providers to meet their needs. We plan to house many different resources in the future, such as an ICAN (International Cesearean Awareness Network) center, milk bank drop off, and a database for the LGBTQIA community to gain access to safe and inclusive healthcare providers. We also want to work with providers to make services available to all socioeconomic backgrounds and populations who need assistance.
*What can other people do to help? What do you need?
People can help by providing us with monetary donations, prizes for the raffle, and bringing donations to the fair for Denton County Friends of the Family. We are also in need of volunteers to help with marketing and to work as staff during the fair. If anyone is interested in volunteering they can send us an email or message us on social media. People can visit our webpage for a complete list of sponsors, vendors, and for more information about the fair.
I am so excited to bring you more of this series and share some of the amazing vendors and support available to expecting families and growing families in the Denton County area.
