By Dr. Ferrell Miller
JC Post
On July 17, JC Breakfast Optimist Club’s member/guest speaker was Martine Chery- Hilaire. Martine is originally from Haiti and has lived in Junction City for 15 years having been petitioned by her mother to be able to come to the United States. After five years, Martine joined the Army and ended up at Fort Riley. Martine owns and operates the Chez Matou Green Machine Food Truck located on North Washington Street in Junction City.
She and her husband established a 501c3 in 2022 titled First Thousand Members Club. It is that Club that is hosting the First Annual Harmony Fest. Martine stated that “when I first came here, I didn’t feel connected to the community.” Over time she has become involved with her church, the JC Breakfast Optimist Club, Live Well Geary County, serving on the Site Council at Eisenhower Elementary, being involved with the Booster Club, reading to students at Westwood Elementary and is working to do more to celebrate the diversity of Junction City.
“The Harmony Fest will provide a platform to showcase cultures and engage the community in learning about different cultures, encourage collaboration and cooperation. The more we get to know about each other, we find out that we are more alike than different” Martine said.
The event will be on August 24th from 3:00-10:00 PM in Heritage Park in Junction City. At this point 13 different cultures have agreed to share information and food to share at the event. Other activities will include live music, cultural performances, workshops, food contests, an open Mic, a Kids Zone, a raffle, cultural games, vendor expos, street performances and storytelling. Admission to the event is free.
To donate to help cover costs, volunteer or participate as a vendor or sponsor of Harmony Fest, please contact Martine Chery-Hilaire at 240-898-8120.