South County Community Services (SCCS) invites everyone to an open house in their new location at the Village Marketplace on Sunday, November 9 from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Refreshments will be served. There will also be a quilt raffle.
Staff and volunteers report that after more than 400 volunteer hours of preparation and moving, the agency staff is starting to feel at home in their new space at the southeast corner of Prairie and Kalamazoo.
SCCS thanks everyone who helped with the move and who patiently adjusted to the disruptions which accompany such an event, according to Danna Downing, executive director.
The agency relocated to improve access and reduce operating costs due to reduced funding, said Downing. The top priorities now are to finalize signage and help the community become aware of services and programs that can now be developed to better serve the South County area.
The new location provides safe and easy parking and access to the office which is located on the east side of the complex. Look for SCCS between Subway and Hungry Howie’s. The door is located just to the left of the mailbox for 105 S. Kalamazoo Street. The familiar signage from the Vicksburg Community Center is now on display to guide clients as well.
The SCCS Pantry, open Monday through Thursday from 1-5 p.m., is now like a grocery store, where clients can make food selections that complement other food resources they have and cater to tastes and nutritional requirements they are managing. This change is in direct response to the increasing number of people who find themselves unable to afford basic necessities. In the South County service area, that number ranges from 19 to 33 percent.
The overall savings due to the relocation, in addition to being closed on Fridays, will allow SCCS to add a part-time outreach worker to serve clients with programs and services in the communities included in its service area.
Veterans Services is expanding its reach into the community with its dedicated office space at SCCS.
The Kalamazoo County Department of Human Services and the SCCS now have shared space in a quiet confidential setting to coordinate emergency assistance services. Computer kiosks for making online applications for services are in the works.