This weekend’s Women’s Resource Fair in Evanston covered a range of women’s issues — from health and spousal abuse to chocolate and great sex.
“Women are so much givers and caretakers, and everything here is about caring for themselves,” said Mary Jo Barrett, the fair’s co-chairwoman. “I always think it’s important for women to find a place to have their voice.”
The theme of the fair — held Friday and Saturday at the Woman’s Club of Evanston, 1702 Chicago Ave. — was “Reconnection, Resilience and Renewal.” The exhibition featured representatives from 60 organizations and businesses and offered 40 workshops and lectures.
Barrett’s workshop was “Creating Your ‘Top Ten Tips’ for Renewing Love and Sex” in partnerships.
“I practice what I preach,” she told one participant. “I couldn’t believe that (at the workshop) last year no one talked about sex.”
Barrett said the fair appealed to a cross-section of women. “It’s just a great way to build energy and create energy, which is especially important if women are building their lives up from violence or tragedy,” she said.
In addition to focusing on the stories of individual women, the fair attempted to strengthen the entire Evanston community.
“This whole fair is really about connection and community, which I feel is essential for anyone,” said Wendy Kopald, the fair’s other co-chairwoman.
Kopald said she first realized the importance of community connections while she was working in Mexico. The cultural differences gave her insight into the necessity of “nurturing and being nurtured,” she said.
“Just for myself, I really believe that connecting with other people at a heart level and really seeing other people’s lives as similar to your own really contributes to your life force, feeling that you’re part of something bigger than yourself.”
Kopald said she enjoyed the “Voices of Women of Color & Diversity” panel.
“It was women really speaking from their hearts, in a really deep open way about their experience of how they got to where they are today … and their encounters with racism, sexism and classism,” Kopald said.
Dorothy Parsons, who has scleroderma, a chronic skin and tissue disease, was particularly interested in “all the healthy things (at the fair) that will enrich one’s life and try to offset the negative environment,” she said. These included displays for organic foods, vitamins and exercises.
Other exhibits featured information on counseling and astrology, and offered books focusing on women’s issues.
Laura Davis, author of “The Courage to Heal,” was the keynote speaker Friday and also gave a workshop Saturday morning. Davis’ sessions focused on four ways of reconciling relationships: reaching a total understanding, modifying expectations, agreeing to disagree or working internally if reconciliation is not possible.
Kopald, who attended Davis’ speech and workshop, said the fair was about making and sustaining relationships, specifically between women.
“For many people, we’re really living life without tradition and without community so I really feel committed to doing that in my own life and helping people to do that in theirs,” said Kopald. Plus, “there’s lots of chocolate being given out, which I think is great.”
