By Berenice Marin, BSC Eligibility Supervisor
On October 8, 2023 we tabled for the Open Streets Santa Maria event: a one-day event opening up a mile of car-free space on West Main Street for people of all ages and abilities to play, be active, and interact with exhibitor booths. The event included health and wellness activities such as biking, skating, walking games, sports, and dancing to live music, as well as art and performances and street safety education. The event was massive; a previous year's Open Streets reportedly drew 30,000 people. We saw about 700 people at our table, with some taking flyers. We were able to give about 10-15 people a status on their case, and answer general questions for others. The most rewarding part was that some people just stopped by to tell us how grateful they were for our support.