A coalition of agencies and service providers broke ground today on The Center at McKinleyville, a one-stop location for services, information and activities for community members in McKinleyville and the northern region of Humboldt County.
The Center was planned and developed through a collaboration between the McKinleyville Family Resource Center (MFRC), Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), North Coast Regional Child Support Services, Open Door Community Health Centers, Trinidad Rancheria Tribal Social Services and the Humboldt State University Department of Social Work.
Up to 57 staff will work out of The Center, providing a range of services to current and future clients, including children, families and adults.
MFRC Executive Director Hillarie Beyer said, “We recognize that the social issues we are attempting to address are complex and require that we work together if we are to move toward our vision of a vibrant community where people are healthy and connected. I am so excited that we will soon be able to turn that vision into a reality."
The Center was first envisioned in 2012 as a way to bring services closer to residents in the northern and eastern parts of the county.
DHHS Director Connie Beck said, “This project will limit the need for some of our county’s most vulnerable residents to travel to Eureka to seek assistance. These agencies working together so closely means referrals often will be made down the hall rather than to another location, allowing staff to serve this area more efficiently.”
The MFRC received more than $450,000 in grant funding from the S.H. Cowell Foundation to cover the costs of initial planning. Once The Center is complete, DHHS will lease a large portion of the building and provide the bulk of the financial support through a combination of federal and state funding with no impact on the county’s General Fund.
The 13,400 square-foot building, located at 1615 Heartwood Drive near the intersection of Central Avenue, is expected to open later this year.
Residents can learn more about what’s being planned for the new facility at a community meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 9, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Morris Elementary School, 2395 McKinleyville Ave. For more information about The Center or the community meeting, contact the MFRC at 707-840-0905.
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