Enhancing Unity and Cooperation by Developing a Community Center I. TOPIC Twin Rivers Intergenerational Center II. LOCATION Central New Hampshire III. SUBJECT Enhancing Unity and Cooperation by Developing a Community Center IV. SUMMARY In February 1994, more than 100 residents of Franklin, New Hampshire, met in a soon-to-be closed manufacturing mill to discuss turning the facility into an intergenerational community center. Through the collaborative efforts of local government, schools, nonprofit social service and health agencies, religious institutions, business people, and many unaffiliated volunteers, funds were secured and renovations were made to the mill. In August 1994, the Twin Rivers Intergenerational Center opened. The Center, decorated with murals painted by people aged eight to 80, houses the local Evenstart, Head Start, and GED programs, the Franklin Senior Center, and two community meeting rooms. The Center offers daycare services for parents working on their GEDs, and the senior center provides lunches on-site and operates a Meals-On-Wheels program. The Center's meeting rooms host regular Chamber of Commerce meetings and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Other social, educational, and health agencies use the Center to share operating expenses and to offer clients a more comprehensive array of services at one location. V. SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE An array of public, private, for profit, and nonprofit organizations joined with community volunteers to turn an inactive manufacturing mill into an intergenerational community center that provides local organizations, social service providers, and residents with a forum for their activities, thereby strengthening the bonds of community among all segments of the population. VI. CONTACT Ralph Littlefield, Executive Director Community Action Program of Belknap-Merrimack Counties (A Community Action Agency) P.O. Box 1016 2 Industrial Park Drive Concord, New Hampshire 03302 603-225-3295 603-228-1898 (FAX) VII. CASE STUDY The Problem: Belknap and Merrimack Counties in central New Hampshire are comprised of small, rural towns ranging in population from 800 to 4,000. The city of Franklin, population 9,000, is the largest municipality in this project's target area. Total population of the target area is 22,000. Of this population, 10 percent live at or below federal poverty levels; an additional 15 percent are considered "working poor." Poverty indicators were on the rise throughout New Hampshire, e.g., from 1989-1991 there was a 37 percent increase in families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children, a 34 percent increase in unemployment, and a 36 percent increase in the Food Stamp caseload. High schools in the target area have drop out rates 10 percent higher than the state average; the teen pregnancy rate is the second highest in the state; the rate of pregnancy among the low-income population is one of the highest in the state; and 30 percent of Franklin's students qualify for free or reduced price lunches. Police have also noticed an increase in petty crime and the appearance of youth gangs. School counselors report a 40 percent increase in student violence. Alcohol and substance abuse are also on the rise. Anheuser Busch released figures in the early 1990s showing that its distribution site in the Franklin area had the highest per capita sales in the nation. While economic conditions may have exacerbated the area's troubles, an underlying problem was the structure of human service delivery systems and the cultural fabric of the communities. Existing services were fragmented, and service sites were spread out throughout the large, rural region. A lack of public transportation makes reaching services even more difficult for those in need. Because there was no case management component in place, when providers made referrals to other programs there was no way to ensure that individuals were getting the services they needed. Despite the existence of programs to meet the needs of older and low-income residents, the inaccessibility and rapidly increasing caseloads of these programs suggested that a coordinated effort was needed to integrate services, emphasize education, and empower low-income people to begin a process of change as part of the wider community. The Approach Adopted: In 1992, as part of "Healthy People 2000," a national program emphasizing prevention as the key to health care reform, an Intergenerational Task Force initiated a needs assessment for the region. The assessment indicated a clear consensus to establish a central location for the provision of social services. The Task Force conceived the idea of an Intergenerational Center with a focus on nutrition, health and wellness education, and providing an environment for measurable, long-term behavior changes resulting in improved health. The Center would provide people with easy access to services, enable self-referral by participants, and offer providers a single center dedicated to social services. Such a facility could also be the focal point for broad-based nutrition and wellness education programs, which were available through existing programs but were either unknown or unavailable to the low-income population. The Center would have seniors as its focus, but the co-location of many services and cooperation among people of all ages would enhance intergenerational support for wellness and build unity across currently segregated groups. In addition to specific activities and programs, an intergenerational center that brings people together could serve as an antidote for the decline of the extended family structure. How They Implemented The Approach: In 1979, community leaders from northern Merrimack County established the Twin Rivers Family Resource Council. The Council's specific purposes were to provide emergency housing, counseling, and safety to children involved in domestic violence and abusive situations. Over time it became evident that the Council needed to focus on prevention and wellness. In 1988, the Council joined with Franklin Regional Hospital to form project CARE, which focused on support to families. In 1992, the New Hampshire chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons asked Franklin Regional Hospital to coordinate projects that bring people of all ages together for their mutual health and well being. An Intergenerational Task Force emerged as the overarching organization charged with a mission of changing the cultural fabric of the community to support improved physical and mental health. The Task Force was comprised of community leaders from a wide range of social service providers, local government agencies, schools, churches, non-profit associations, professional associations, and volunteers. After the Task Force developed its idea to establish an Intergenerational Center, it built a coalition of local social service providers who would work to create the center and provide services at the center. Partners in the project include the Community Action Program of Belknap-Merrimack Counties, the city of Franklin, the local school district, and Franklin Regional Hospital. Collaborators in the Task Force initiative include many organizations that provide services funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Programs operated by the partners include Older Americans Act programs (senior meals, transportation, and social support services), Social Service Block Grant-funded family planning, prenatal services, child day care, Head Start, Parent Child Center, fuel assistance, Community Services Block Grant-funded outreach centers, mental health services, homeless projects, and child health clinics. In 1994, the Task Force, by then re-named the Twin Rivers Intergenerational Project (TRIP), acquired a lease for an inactive, 6,400 square foot manufacturing mill to house the Twin Rivers Intergenerational Center. TRIP proposed and was awarded a $50,000 Community Food and Nutrition grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Community Services. This grant allowed TRIP to develop the site by establishing collaborative relationships with a variety of other service providers to secure the core intergenerational nutrition programs to be located at the Center. The partners in the project raised additional capital to renovate and open the facility through various fund raising activities. The Lakes Region Charitable Trust gave the project $5,000 to get the project moving. The First Deposit National Bank donated $20,000 to cover a portion of the operating costs for the first year the center was open. Many other businesses, individual donors, and community events also contributed to getting the Center started and still play a significant role in its continued operation. Significant volunteer and in-kind contributions helped turn the former mill into a community center with two classrooms, a senior center, meeting rooms, and a kitchen. Habitat for Humanity volunteers donated more than 2,000 hours of construction work. Local businesses donated commercial kitchen equipment, and many vendors supplied labor and materials at cost. Results: The Twin Rivers Intergenerational Center opened in August 1994 and now houses the local Evenstart, Head Start, and GED programs, the Franklin Senior Center, and two community meeting rooms. The Center offers a variety of day care services, and the Senior Center provides on-site lunches and operates a Meals-On-Wheels program. In addition to these regular programs at the Center, more than 20 other local groups and social service providers have used the meeting rooms for their activities. Project partners have focused on positive client outcomes, thus overcoming controversial issues of program ownership and duplication of effort. They have met the challenges of collaborative work and have reached a commitment to sharing resources and expertise. The state of New Hampshire recognized the success of the Intergenerational Center and has asked the project's partners to develop a manual that other communities can use for establishing their own intergenerational centers. VIII. KEY WORDS Chamber of Commerce Children Coalitions Collaborations Community Action Agency Community Center Community Services Block Grant Department of Health and Human Services Evenstart Families GED Head Start Healthy People 2000 Meal-On-Wheels Office of Community Services Partnerships Senior Citizens Volunteers Wellness Programs Youth ref: twinrivr.L4doc