Category: Special Event

Worried about mother nature sweeping its relentless waves across the island? Well, look no further – come learn how you can stay safe during storm season with Hurricane Hal, award-winning extreme weather and disaster scientist.

He’ll have decades’ worth of knowledge & safety tips to impart, for you to take back home and start planning!

Dates:

July 28

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

About Hurricane Hal

Dr. “Hurricane Hal” Needham is an award-winning extreme weather and disaster scientist, with nearly 20 years’ experience forecasting extreme weather in disaster-prone communities. As a science communicator, he hosts the GeoTrek Podcast, ranked as the #1 podcast on the topic of natural disasters, according to FeedSpot. Dr. Hal is also an international expert in hurricanes and coastal flooding, and is lead scientist for Flood Information Systems, providing data-driven flood risk analysis. During hurricane season he provides impact-based forecasts that focus on flood and wind risk. He also leads Galveston Hurricane Tour, where he tells inspirational stories of Galveston’s amazing resiliency through a long history of hurricanes.

You can find him at:

• facebook.com/HurricaneHal/

• instagram.com/_hurricanehal/

• x.com/hurricanehal_

• www.galvestonhurricanetour.com

• www.geo-trek.com

• https://floodinformationsystems.com/

• https://rss.com/podcasts/geotrek/ *An archive of his 97 podcasts on extreme weather and disasters

The Galveston Police Department is planning for Christmas (in September)! They’re checking the list & in search of support for purchasing new toys this year. Check out what they have at their table!

Date:

September 8, 2024

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

3304 Market St, 77550

About Blue Santa

The men and women of the Galveston Police Department, together with an all-volunteer board, started the Blue Santa of Galveston program in 1994. Since that time, requests for assistance have increased from 15 families that first year to 3000+ children last year. None of this would be possible without the partnership between officers and the community; an opportunity to come together for our youngest citizens. A large portion of those living in Galveston County rely on the tourist industry to feed their families and take care of their needs like paying rent, childcare and basic health care. As a result of the recent events including COVID, increasing rents and property taxes, as well as the current economic conditions, many industries and businesses were shut down for months, some will never recover. As you can imagine, more families than ever need help from Blue Santa and similar organizations not only for the holidays but their most basic needs.

For those unfamiliar with Blue Santa, it is an organization of Law Enforcement and community members who fundraise to purchase and collect gifts from the community and distribute those gifts to families in need. The generosity extended to Blue Santa is a tribute to the generous residents, businesses, and organizations whose financial response provided a major portion of the funds used to purchase gifts for the growing number of applicants. Families with a need submit a list of their children’s names, their ages, gender, and specific needs/wants regarding gifts from Santa along with verification of residency. All donations are warehoused at the Lighthouse Charity Galveston Operations Center and with the help of volunteers, gifts are selected for each child, wrapped, packaged by families, and delivered to the families a few days before Christmas. Every effort is made to provide at least one gift from the child’s wish list, along with 2 or 3 others including an activity (ball of some sort, something for outdoor activity) as well as a comfort type toy and an additional gift or game that can be played collectively with the entire family. The organization is 100% volunteer “workers” and donor funded.

Are you a backyard gardener? Do you have excess seasonal produce & want to make a little bonus money? Well, have we got the program for you!

Stop by the booth to learn more about GOFM’s Backyard Growers program & how you can start selling at market. Here’s the quick scoop:

• Easy, low-cost entry into our established marketplace!

• All ages & experiences are welcome.

• Whether you have occasional abundance you want to share or simply aren’t ready to jump into being a full market vendor, BYG makes it easy to sell your agricultural goods!

• You can sell fruits, vegetables, flowers, houseplants/landscaping plants, or eggs (with some constraints) grown by you on your property using organic methods

• We’ll provide the tent, the table, and even the insurance!

Date:

July 7

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

at Galveston’s Own Farmers Market (3304 Market)

The Galveston Police Department is planning for Christmas (in July)! They’re checking the list & in search of support for purchasing new toys this year. Check out what they have at their table!

Date:

July 21, 2024

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

3304 Market St, 77550

About Blue Santa

The men and women of the Galveston Police Department, together with an all-volunteer board, started the Blue Santa of Galveston program in 1994. Since that time, requests for assistance have increased from 15 families that first year to 3000+ children last year. None of this would be possible without the partnership between officers and the community; an opportunity to come together for our youngest citizens. A large portion of those living in Galveston County rely on the tourist industry to feed their families and take care of their needs like paying rent, childcare and basic health care. As a result of the recent events including COVID, increasing rents and property taxes, as well as the current economic conditions, many industries and businesses were shut down for months, some will never recover. As you can imagine, more families than ever need help from Blue Santa and similar organizations not only for the holidays but their most basic needs.

For those unfamiliar with Blue Santa, it is an organization of Law Enforcement and community members who fundraise to purchase and collect gifts from the community and distribute those gifts to families in need. The generosity extended to Blue Santa is a tribute to the generous residents, businesses, and organizations whose financial response provided a major portion of the funds used to purchase gifts for the growing number of applicants. Families with a need submit a list of their children’s names, their ages, gender, and specific needs/wants regarding gifts from Santa along with verification of residency. All donations are warehoused at the Lighthouse Charity Galveston Operations Center and with the help of volunteers, gifts are selected for each child, wrapped, packaged by families, and delivered to the families a few days before Christmas. Every effort is made to provide at least one gift from the child’s wish list, along with 2 or 3 others including an activity (ball of some sort, something for outdoor activity) as well as a comfort type toy and an additional gift or game that can be played collectively with the entire family. The organization is 100% volunteer “workers” and donor funded.

Give & receive, share, lend, and express gratitude through a worldwide network of micro-local gift economies.

It is as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Bring up to 5 items MAX that you would like to give. Please no perishable food items!

2. Take what you need or want.

3. Any items left will be donated.

It is give, take, or both! We give out of abundance with no expectation of anything in return.

We do not encourage trading/bartering/buying/selling (as that is gifting with expectation of receiving).

Sign up to Volunteer for Buy Nothing here>

Dates:

July 14, 2024

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

at Galveston’s Own Farmers Market (3304 Market, 77550)

About the Buy Nothing.

Give Freely. Share creatively.

Follow us at https://www.facebook.com/BuyNothingProject/

We offer members a way to give and receive, share, lend, and express gratitude through a worldwide network of micro-local gift economies in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people who are real-life neighbors. Post anything you’d like to give away, lend, or share in this Buy Nothing community group. Ask for anything you’d like to receive for free or borrow. Keep it legal. Keep it civil.

Buy Nothing Galveston, TX, is for neighbors on Galveston Island, TX, in the neighborhoods located within our boundaries (Galveston Island).

If you live here, we’d love to have you join us! You can join one group only, the group where you live, so you can literally “give where you live.” This is what builds community. In this group there is no buying or selling, no trades or bartering, no soliciting for cash. We’re an adult-only, hyper-local gift economy. We are not a charity or community bulletin board.

Learn more about the The Buy Nothing Project at

http://buynothingproject.org/

Galveston Island State Park is bringing the park to GOFM! Learn about the 3 major ecosystems at the park, touch the shells, skulls and plants found at the park and grab a Junior Ranger journal to complete.

Dates:

July 14

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

About Galveston Island State Park

Galveston Island State Park encompasses over 2,000 acres of protected beach, prairie and marsh ecosystems and provides recreation opportunities, such as camping, hiking, paddling, swimming, fishing and nature watching. Learn more>

If you can bay leaf it, Pride Month just got even butter with “Once Upon a Story Thyme,” a morning of stories read by local LGBTQIA+ figures.

Join us as each friend reads children’s stories to provide encouragemint, laughs and sage wisdom for audiences of all ages.

No need to herb your enthusiasm–bring everyone you know! Stories start at 10:00 AM & each of our friends will read 1 book.

Dates:

June 2, 2024

10 AM – 10:30 AM

at Galveston’s Own Farmers Market (3304 Market)

About Dr. Pierre Banks

Dr. Banks is a leader in medical education and admissions at UTMB. Since joining in 2019, he has served as both Assistant Dean of Admissions & Recruitment and a Clinical Assistant Professor n the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. Dr. Banks champions diversity, equity, and inclusion by teaching these principles in core medical school courses. His background is rich with experience in higher education leadership and student support. Dr. Banks holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies with a focus on diversity and inclusion, and his prior roles encompassed admissions, student affairs, and multicultural programs.

About Phylicia French

Phylicia French is an international author, speaker, mental health consultant, and most importantly a proud aunt. She enjoys spending time with her nieces, nephews, and godchildren. Formerly, a preschool teaching assistant, Phylicia honed the pedagogical skills to transform even routine experiences with the children in her life into extraordinary, educative adventures.

About Tammy Fountain

Tammy Fountain is a seasoned psychotherapist here on the island, proud mom of an amazing teenager, and lover of bulldogs, poetry, the arts, nature, and quirky humans. She serves the local LGBTQIA community by serving on the boards of the Galveston Island Fundraising Team and Third Coast Pride Fest.  Advocating for Galveston’s LGBTQIA kids and families is a fierce passion. Favorite self-care activities include Sunday morning services at Trinity Episcopal Church, wandering around GOFM and indulging in playful adventures with the Misfits Krewe.

About Torrina Harris

Torrina Harris (she/her) is a Las Vegas-born and Galveston-rooted mother, poet, and community organizer. Torrina is the Director of Philanthropy for Houston Area Women’s Center and currently serves as a board member for Vision Galveston. Torrina also serves as an advisor and facilitator for the Houston BIPOC Arts Network and Fund and as a reviewer for the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine’s Journal of Adolescent Health Intersection section reviewing and selecting poetry and art. Torrina has previously served on the boards of City of Galveston Families Children and Youth Board, Nia Cultural Center, and Galveston Children’s Museum. In 2021 she founded BRAVADO Ink, a collective of BIPOC revolutionaries, artists, visionaries, and activists for diaspora opportunity centering anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and decolonized liberation through art, education, activism, and community.