Claudia Tuck, Director of Community Support Services and Satori Days Community Stabilization Program Manager presented the above item.
Community Resource Center Definition
A public location where members of a community gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may be open for the whole community or for a specialized subgroup within the greater community. Community
centers can be religious in nature, such as Christian churches, Islamic mosques, Jewish synagogues, Hindu temples, or Buddhist temples; though they can also be secular and in some cases government-run, such as youth clubs or senior centers.
Community Resource Centers Surveyed
• City of Alachua Recreation and Culture Department- Hathcock Community Center
• City of Archer-Ollie Mae Robinson Senior Center
• City of Newberry-Martin Luther King Community Center
• City of Waldo Community Center
• Community Impact Corporation
• Deeper Purpose Community Church, Inc
• Hawthorne Area Resource Center, Inc.
• Partnership for Strong Families- Library Partnership
• Partnership for Strong Families-Southwest Advocacy Group (SWAG) Resource Center
• Pleasant Street Civil Rights and Cultural Arts Center Inc-One Community Family Resource Center
• The Willie Mae Stokes Community Center
Community Resource Center’s Staffing
- 27 Full Time Staff
- 8 Part Time Staff
- 89 Volunteers
Community Resource Center Needs
- 5 Office Equipment
- 7 More Staff
- 3 More Volunteers
- 5 Vehicles
- 1 New Center
- 1 Additional Funding
- 1 Permanent Facility
- 1 Digital Screens/Projectors
- 1 Storage
Community Resource Guides
• United Way 211
• FindHelp.org
• Bread of the Mighty “Find a Food Pantry” Site
• Alachua County’s Housing Resources Virtual Map
Commissioner Prizzia, Commissioner Alford, Commissioner Cornell, Program Manager Satori Days, Commissioner Wheeler, Chair Chestnut, and Director Claudia Tuck presented comments.
Commissioner Cornell moved the following:
- That staff identify for the Commission of the list which of these entities are municipally run versus run by nonprofits and/or volunteers, 501c(3) and provide that back to the Commission by email is fine.
- Request any operating budgets that May or May not exist relating to these entities and provide that back to the Commission by email is fine.
- That the Commission refer to staff to work with the Community Foundation and the Children’s Trust and develop recommendations with regards to both the amount and a method or process for potential funding in fiscal year 2025-2026.
- Staff be utilized to help these organizations gather that information.
- Explore opportunities to utilize surplus and government access to resources and software for support of these centers.
- Bring back recommendations for support of a community wide resource guide that works.
The motion carried 5-0.
Public Comment
Chair Chestnut recognized Kristi Goldwire Chief operating officer with Children's Trust and Director James of operations, Marsha Kiner, Pebbles and Stacey Merit with partnership for families, Brenda, Jeanie Necessary, a citizen, Pastor Joe from High Springs, Tamara Robbins (documentation provided), Erin Hamilton and Jerrell Whitehead from One family community resource center, and Amy Mottely from UF who presented comments.
Commissioner Cornell, Commissioner Prizzia, Commissioner Wheeler and Chair Chestnut presented comments.