Gsmbc Community Development Corporation

Workforce development the center will house a computer lab and meeting rooms to allow for sufficient space for collaborating agencies such as headland/dothan area chamber of commerce and southeast works to conduct workforce development seminars and job fairs. Individuals without computer access will have access to computers to apply for jobs, learn to write resumes, develop soft skills, and prepare for an interview. A key element in workforce development is engaging the community on the expectations of the employment process, first impressions, and developing the soft skills that would make an individual employable. We have provided job fairs in the past and will continue to be a touch point reaching into the community to engage the available workforce for jobs in both rural and urban southeast alabama. With our relationship with wallace community college and local businesses, the workforce development component of what the center will offer provides a plan of identifying and developing the next generation workforce in our region. The center brings the connection between education and industry and connects it with the community. Individuals living in henry county would now have a resource center within its own community providing them access to employment opportunities, education and job skills training, and quality of life for themselves and their entire family.

Wellness/nutrition/personal care the center has as its goal to create a rural wellness clinic that provides access to care for low income residents and children in headland/henry county. The headland office of the alabama department of public health closed several years ago and there are residents in the southern portion of henry county that do not have adequate transportation to transport them to receive basic medical care, vaccinations, and other treatment. In partnership with the alabama department of public health and other medical practitioners in the dothan area, the center will house on a part-time, rotating basis registered nurses and/or medical doctors/nurse practitioners to provide medical care for those disadvantaged individuals living in henry county who need essential medical services. In partnership with the church, transportation will be provided to transport those individuals who need transportation to the clinic to receive the care needed. Furthermore, our church organization has collaborated in the past with southeast health and flowers hospital to bring wellness seminars to senior citizens in headland. Those seminars consisted of diabetes awareness, food and nutrition, best practice and food preparation, and cancer screening. I am confident that these public awareness initiatives will continue as we seek to educate the population on health and wellness. In 2020, the church organization also collaborated with adph to serve as a drive thru covid-19 testing site and will continue to be a touch point for rural health and wellness going forward. The gymnasium and the multi-purpose space in the center will be used for daily and weekly exercise programs for children and adults. From organized basketball and volleyball leagues to walking, aerobics, zumba, and other activities, the center provides and all- inclusive resource center for henry county residents. Self-care is essential to wellness and nutrition, and securing adequate employment and obtaining educational goals, builds confidence for students and adults alike. A barbershop and beauty salon will provide booth-leasing options for entrepreneurs creating a centralized location where individuals and families, mothers/fathers, daughters/sons, can come to receive educational assistance, tutoring, participate in recreation/wellness activities, and receive a professional haircut from business operators at the center. All of these elements are essential to meet the various needs of the population being served. The gsmbc community development corporation's community family life center will bring multiple agencies into oneplace building a bridge with the community and impacting the current generation and generations to come.