Wrap-around services to be provided at resource center in east Gainesville

A resource center in e ast Gainesville is now open with wrap-around services to meet the needs of those in the community.

Launched by the Pleasant Street Civil Rights Cultural Arts Center at 1725 SE First Ave., the One Community Family Resource Center will house offices for community health workers, Pleasant Street CRCA, a conference room, space for a computer lab and a room to test residents for diabetes, high blood pressure and their cholesterol levels.

The site formerly housed several entities affiliated with Alachua County Public Schools, including the Educational Credit Union and ACPS Education Foundation.

"We hope to be a place to provide value to the community," said Pastor Gerard Duncan, founder of Pleasant Street CRCA. "When we find someone in need, we want to do our best to support them and help them. We want to provide upward mobility so everyone can have a good quality of life."

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The launch featured an open house where guests toured the building, a back-to-school backpack and supplies giveaway and free food.

"We need to know the resources we can refer people to and what is required," Duncan said. "When people come, we want to make sure we give them everything they need or else they will be discouraged."

The center is partially funded by Children’s Trust of Alachua County, which funds programs that support children and families, Duncan said.

Other partners involved are Amgen, UF's Mobile Outreach Clinic, Alachua County Public Schools and Partnership for Strong Families. Amgen is a national biopharmaceutical company headquartered in California and has an office in Tampa.

"We are a proud partner in this endeavor in an effort to expand resources in east Gainesville," said Marsha Kiner, executive director of Children’s Trust of Alachua County. "We are proud to assist the center and provide the necessary resources to families."

The center will also be the new location for its Food Is Medicine food pharmacy program that was created to provide nutrition counseling and healthy foods to residents while reducing food insecurity and improving health outcomes for individuals who have been diagnosed with illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, hypertension and high blood pressure.

The food is provided by Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, Feeding Northeast Florida and other food distribution agencies, Duncan said.

Residents interested in the food program can stop by the center from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

The tour of the center was led by Alexa Strawder, the center’s resource manager. She told those on the tour the center will provide workshops hosted by local organizations such as CDS Family and Behavioral Services, BXE Real Estate, UF Lastinger Center for Learning and others.

"We're trying to bring people to upward mobility," Strawder said. "We will be making assessments to see if what we are doing is improving lives. We are trying to lessen the hardships."

The resource center will focus on five social disparities — transportation, housing, education, social economics and social assistance, Strawder said.

Jarell Whitehead, an activist and the center's community health worker, served food during the event. He said the center is there to empower people to get what they need.

"It is a great addition to the community," Whitehead said. "We are able to give people a hand up and not a handout. We're all in need of a helping hand. We are looking forward to outcomes. If we don't provide opportunities for the people, we failed. We want to see the success."

Seddricka Thompson, who attended the event to tour the center, said she is looking forward to the center meeting the needs of the east Gainesville community.

"People need help and the center wants to help people who are going through things," Thompson said. "I can't wait to see the center bettering the community and helping those in need."

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Wrap-around services to be provided at resource center in east Gainesville