The 6th annual Winter Resource Fair brings holiday joy to Atlanta families
This past holiday season, the Mayor’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs hosted its sixth annual Winter Resource Fair at the Sara J. González Memorial Park. Alongside a host of community partners, the celebration offered an inviting space where families could come together with their community and learn about what resources are available to them.
The annual Winter Resource Fair represents part of the Mayor’s Office’s Community Resource program, which organizes in-neighborhood engagement to connect residents to resources, and concludes nearly 60 resource events hosted by the office in 2025.
275 families and their children attended, receiving close to 1,000 toys that were collected through toy drives conducted by the Friends of Sara J. González Memorial Park and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia (PCOM Georgia).
Amidst festive music played by a local mariachi band, families visited with resource partners, including ATL 311, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, the Consulate General of Mexico, the Department of City Planning, Fulton County Library, and more. PCOM Georgia offered in-language health screenings, creating important moments for health education. Along with the resources and entertainment, local Atlanta business Souper Jenny provided ready-to-eat soup bowls for the chilly day.
Once gifts had been selected and bellies were full, many attendees lingered to spend time together as a community. Laughs rang loud, words floated atop the music, and smiles were seen on many faces. Families got to know their neighbors, many watching their children playing on the all-abilities playground, coloring, or engaging in soccer activities.
With the World Cup around the corner, soccer programming was readily available, as it is at many of the Mayor’s Office’s weekly community events. The YMCA taught a soccer clinic where children in attendance learned new soccer skills and put them into practice. TOCA Soccer, a soccer development program across the Metro, simultaneously hosted soccer drills, focusing on the fundamentals of kicking and scoring.
Ultimately, the Winter Resource Fair was more than just a distribution of toys or information; it was a vibrant celebration of the diverse community that calls Atlanta home. By bridging the gap between essential services and festive joy, the Mayor’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs hopes to foster a spirit of belonging and neighborly connection. As families left with warm meals, new memories, and full hearts, the event served as a powerful reminder that when we invest in one another, we build a stronger, more inclusive city for everyone.
