Longtime resident and founder of Sierra Shared Spaces, Justin Powers is holding a special event for everyone new to the valley. The event is from 12pm to 3pm, December 14, at the Kern River Valley Senior Center. The cost of this event is free to the public.
“It’s called the New To Town event. It is for anybody who is new to town. And that is up to their own interpretation,” Powers said. “Sometimes people who have been in town for awhile can still kind of feel like a newcomer.”
Sierra Shared Spaces would be connecting people to their neighbors in partnership with Kern County in the Neighbor to Neighbor program, Kernville Cowork and Kern Valley Hospital Foundation.
Part of Powers’ inspiration for the event was that often people coming
into town, that have online or digital jobs, visit Kernville Cowork and have common questions relating to where they can find out what events occur in town and where they can get connected.
Powers said that there is also a list of things people need to understand, if they’ve never lived in place like this, such as issues with wild fire season and weed abatement and property clearances; evacuations; how to deal with septic tanks, propane tanks and swamp coolers. “We’ll have some speakers throughout the day that can help with sharing their knowledge, through the afternoon, these topics with an educational portion,” said Powers.
A friend of Powers’, who held a similar event, was also part of Powers’ inspiration for holding the affair. Powers plans to have other organizations there, for people to be introduced to, organizations they can volunteer for. “We’re also partnering with the Kern Valley Hospital Foundation, which has had a desire for awhile, to put together Welcome To Town baskets for people new to town.”
Powers explained that he hopes if the event goes well, and if the organizations feel it’s worthwhile, and people that come feel its worthwhile, Sierra Shared Spaces would consider doing it annually, or more frequently, to make the valley more welcoming
to new people.
“I’ve been blessed, to always be a local, since I was born. But it’s easy for people that are new here to tend to still feel like an outsider, even after they’ve lived here for a little while. So we want to change that. We want people to feel welcome, and like they’re
part of the community. Let’s welcome people to the community.”
