Hope Community Connections Center

Hello,

I am Debbie Julian, the founder and director of the Hope Community Connections Center.
Hope Community Connections Center began as a community clothing room in 2006. Opportunities to expand both in facilities and capabilities have allowed growth to encompass an emergency food pantry, refugee services, an English as a Second Language class, a Bible study, family and landlord tenant mediation, a refugee support group, and one-on-one referrals to local agencies that can assist with other needs. Social workers are also available one day per week to assist non-English speaking residents with their needs.
Past events have included health screenings, blood drives, Toys for Tots sign-up and distribution, parenting workshops, voter registration, mini-job fairs, assistance with getting health insurance, and many smaller events.
Community building is part of the mission for the center. Recently, I assisted in organizing a neighborhood community day and also a Meet & Greet for the resident refugees to meet with local law enforcement and emergency personnel. In October we also had a flu shot clinic. Currently I am working with some other agencies to start a community garden in 2017.
This past summer, a summer lunch program was operated that provided meals to over 30 children per day. The center is still growing as more opportunities become available.

The future goals of Hope are to provide a “whole person” approach to encourage and empower each person to become sustainably self-sufficient. To achieve these goals, I would like to be able to facilitate more ministry outreaches, access to internet for employment searches, classes, workshops, tutoring and mentoring.

THE GOALS
In keeping with the mission, the goals are:
• to ensure inclusivity of all community members
• to meet each person where they are, and help them work out a whole-person plan that they can follow.
• to help build a sense of community and belonging
• to build and restore community strength
• to cultivate an environment for appreciation of and participation in the community
• to provide opportunities and access to social activities, education, social development and nourishment all
• to organize and sponsor community events for education, socializing, and celebration
• to organize and offer volunteer opportunities
• to provide information about community issues, people, and events
• to refer people requesting assistance to appropriate individuals and agencies
• to provide supportive services that meaningfully assist individuals in creating lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and social barriers
• to reshape vulnerable lives through community partnerships
• to empower the youth to become responsible citizens and stewards of their community
• to reduce violence and crime by introducing conflict resolution skills
• to transform an at-risk neighborhood, one life at a time