Bonita Springs Mayor Jay Arend, Pat O' Donnell, Literacy Council of Bonita Springs Executive Director Susan Acuna, Cliff Smith of the United Way and Nancy Keefer of the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce cut a ribbon and pose for pictures in front of the new Bonita Springs Resource Center.
The Literacy Council of Bonita Springs has plenty of space for everyone willing to provide services in the Bonita Springs area.
The council, which has been located on Old 41 for several years, is opening a Bonita Springs Resource House to bring help to those who need it.
"We have a lot of students who live in the Bonita area that need our help ... this will help local programs partner up," said Susan Acuna, the executive director of the council. "Pairing up with local programs will give our students and others additional services."
The council announced the available space to local agencies recently at a ribbon cutting attended by Mayor Jay Arend and other members of the community.
"We have to keep working to get the services out there and that we need a family resource center," said Arend about an idea that has been tossed around among city council members and service agencies but no time line has been created for it. "It will happen eventually, we just need to find the place."
Community leaders are looking for space along the Old 41 corridor in efforts to make it a central location for agencies to offer their services.
The United Way is guiding the efforts along with the council.
"Space is not a problem as much as coordinating it all," said Cliff Smith, of the United Way about possibly opening similar Resource Houses in Bonita. "We are thrilled to help coordinate with other agencies ... they make it easier to help others."
Making it easy for groups to help is why the council was chosen by the United Way to help coordinate with groups interested in using the Resource House.
"We will work with them and work it out so they can use the space when we aren't," said Acuna who helped 1,549 students last year.
The Resource house, said Acuna, will be offered for group meetings, seminars for council students, or for events.
"We are trying to get other agencies that aren't here to move into this area and get help where its needed," Cliff Smith said. "This (house) is centrally located ... they already help so many."
Local service agencies have already begun to use the Resource House to offer classes about health and credit counseling to the mostly Hispanic students.
"When given space agencies work together more efficiently," Smith said. "Everybody can hook up and get the [locals] what they need."
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