4-minute read
A former office building has become Parker Street Ministries’ newest community hub — a place where neighborhood residents can gather for coffee or host baby showers, and where young adults can explore careers and prepare for the workforce.
The nonprofit recently purchased and renovated the 5,400-square-foot building at 714 N. Massachusetts Ave., which previously housed NuJack Construction and Absolute Jobs.
The $1.1 million project included $850,000 to purchase the building and another $350,000 for renovations, which were “significantly funded” by the George W. Jenkins Foundation, according to Sarah Breed, Parker Street’s director of development and communications.
The organization also recently held its first 24-hour telethon, co-hosted by Wesley and Ashley Bell Barnett, which raised more than $200,000 for operations and core programs. Breed said a surprise $25,000 matching donation offered after the event could raise the total above $250,000.
A space designed for the neighborhood
Executive Director Tim Mitchell said the new building solves a long-running space problem while creating a more welcoming environment for neighborhood residents.
The front half of the building, officially named the George W. Jenkins Gathering Place at Parker Street Ministries, is designed as a flexible community hub for meetings, parent classes, and neighborhood events.
Mitchell said neighborhood families will be able to reserve The Gathering Place free of charge for events such as baby showers or quinceañera parties. Staff members also envision it as an informal hub where residents can stop in for coffee, work remotely for a few hours, or connect with neighbors.
“When we invite families over, it still feels like church over there,” Mitchell said, pointing to the ministry’s longtime main campus across the street. “We’re definitely not against church, but it’s awkward for a lot of people, especially if you’re not a churchgoer.”
The new, casual space can host gatherings without disrupting summer camp and after-school programs at its main campus. It frees an additional upstairs classroom in the main building for K-8 academic enrichment programs, which serve about 120 students each year. The building also includes a conference room large enough for Mitchell to gather his entire staff around one table for the first time in a decade.
Giving older students their own space
The other half of the building will be a dedicated to Parker Street Ministries’ Young Adult program, which serves high school students and recent graduates. Previously, the program operated out of shared classrooms within the organization’s main building.
Young Adult Program Director Sarah Bonner said the new setup gives older students a sense of independence and ownership.
“The little kids aren’t even going to come over here,” she said.
Bonner said the Young Adult Program typically has 12 to 15 participants each day, although she stays in touch with about 40 current and former participants.
Students can get homework help and have snacks at tables in a large common room. Five small offices along the perimeter are being converted into career exploration “studios” using a $5,000 grant from the city of Lakeland. Themes include music, art, mechanics, cosmetology, and medical training.
Bonner said volunteers and staff members with professional experience will help participants explore careers before they invest time and money into certifications or college programs that may not be a good fit.
Students will begin regularly using the building when the eight-week Summer Workforce Lab starts June 1.
If you live in the Parker Street neighborhood and would like more information, call the office at (863) 682-4544 or fill out an interest form here.
Trying to help ‘bring back reality’
Mitchell said the Summer Workforce Lab helps to build students’ work ethic while also nurturing more realistic ideas about their futures.
“It seems like there’s always been in impoverished neighborhoods these unrealistic realities — either I’m going to be a professional athlete or I’m going to be in prison. The gap is just crazy,” Mitchell said. “We’re trying to help bring back reality.”
Mitchell said the organization keeps the program relatively small — 13 to 16 students each summer — to allow for deeper mentoring and accountability.
“What we’ve learned over the years is max capacity isn’t really ever awesome,” Mitchell said. “We want to be able to do excellent work with kids that are really invested.”
latest news
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
