1,000 Hispanics expected to attend job fair on July 21

Feria de la Oportunidad, a job fair presented by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, its foundation and Comcast, is returning to Cloverleaf Mall on July 21 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. This free event will feature consulate services from four foreign countries including Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico. There will be a children's area complete with games, giveaways and other

kid-friendly activities, and children will be able to meet a popular television character. The Children's Museum of Richmond will lead arts and crafts projects as well.

A community information area will feature important information on how to prepare for an emergency. As hurricane season begins, one of the goals of Feria is to ensure that everyone remains safe during natural and manmade disasters. Many of the companies participating in the event will give out items that attendees can use during an emergency. The Virginia Department of Emergency Services has prepared a pictorial emergency supply list for participants as well.

Workshops will be available in Spanish concerning preparing a resume, establishing credit, securing jobs in the health care field, using public transportation, and learning about the services provided by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, including the certification process for minority owned businesses and the fundamentals of starting a business. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from vendors.

Employers will conduct on the spot interviews for entry, supervisory and/or management level positions. Attendees are encouraged to bring 12 copies of their resumes along with a list of references. Participating employers include Comcast, Capital One, the Chesterfield County Police Department, Nationwide Insurance, State Farm Insurance, SunTrust, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and others in the hospitality and construction industries.

Individuals looking to take advantage of the consulate services are encouraged to visit the following Web sites to see what services are provided and what documentation is needed:

• Brazil - www.brasilemb.org

• Honduras - www.hondurasemb.org

• Mexico - www.sre.gob.mx

• El Salvador - www.elsalvador.org

Those without Internet access are invited to come to the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, located at 10700 Midlothian Tnpk., suite 200, and use one of the public access computers to print off the information needed for the upcoming consulates visit.