The city of Thornton final Produce and Health Fair of the summer in two weeks will be geared toward providing a variety of health information and reinforcing these practices in the homes of residents.

“This is the catalyst for a new lifestyle,” said Jaylin Stotler, Thornton community services coordinator. “By giving them the information, resources and tools that they need, residents are able to make healthy decisions and apply it once they leave and go home to their families.”

The fair, which will be held at the Church of God (7th Day), 9375 Gaylord St., will feature about a dozen different vendors from community-outreach organizations, including the Tri-County Public Health, Denver-based Cooking Matters and Thornton Police Department.

During the last Produce and Health Fair, held on July 20, 480 community members packed the church’s parking lot to seek assistance and collect free produce distributed by Food Bank of the Rockies. Stotler said this is the first year the city has hosted the tri-annual event developed by the Tri-County Health Department and Food Bank of the Rockies.

In all, Stotler said, the Food Bank of the Rockies handed out nearly 6,000 pounds of food during the July 20 fair and enlisted the help of nearly 50 volunteers.

At one of the booths, Cooking Matters program associate Megan Cazer and dietetic intern Tanya Goytte spent most of the day preparing a vegetable salad and handing samples to people passing by.

Cazer said the salad takes fewer than 30 minutes to make and is a small example of how people can use the food distributed at the event to create a cheap, yet healthy meal made of natural ingredients.

“We’re teaching people how to cook so they can be more sustainable and not have to rely on convenience-based food,” Cazer said. “Anytime you cook for yourself, you have more control over the ingredients, so you can make foods with lower sodium or lower fats.”

Broomfield resident Raquel Evans said she first heard about the fair through the Anythink Library on East 120th Avenue and decided to attend to seek Medicare advice from Kaiser Permanente.

“I think they’re vital to have because they’re so informative to people who don’t know where to find the information or don’t even have Internet access all the time,” Evans said. “Many people may not even realize these services are out there if they’re not introduced in a setting like this. I think people are also intimidated to go out there sometimes because they may feel embarrassed — to a degree — when they get into a position where they need help.”