WCC

Weed Community Resource Center

MA TRIX OUTCOMES MODEL, LLC
P.O. Box 727, Weed, California 96094
August 12, 2011

Joyce Oliver, Executive Director
Weed Family Resource Center
590 Main Street
Weed, Ca. 96094

Dear Joyce:

As Project Director of a statewide family support project on preventing child abuse and
neglect and a community program planner since 1969, 1 have seen the services the Weed
Family Resource Center (FRC) has provided to the community. Our state funded
prevention project is located in the FRC. It provides a comprehensive family assessment
and case management tool that is expanded by the community wide support for the FRC.
A community center must be centrally located, have access to public transportation, and
most important, have the support of the community. All demographics of the Weed
community already utilize the Mercantile building and the FRC. Your programs bring
the people of Weed together and offer opportunities, resources and referrals. Especially
important are your community partnerships where other community organizations
already view you as the center for community activities and programs. The partnerships
include First-5, mental health, health prevention, public health, faith communities, food
programs, 4-H, child care. Rotary, Kiwanis, United Way and numerous others.
Certainly your leadership to establish and maintain the Weed Revitalization Coalition and
Community Resource Center is a current demonstration of how Weed residents are now
more hopeful for business, family and youth opportunities as a result of the work of
volunteers, interns and leaders in the community.
I unequivocally support your effort to obtain funding to establish the mercantile building
as the Weed community center.
s/
Jerry Endres, M.S.W.
Project Director, Principal Investigator
Family Development Matrix Project
Funded by the Office of Child Abuse Prevention

Perfect location

Dear Editor,
     Why is the Weed Recreation and Parks District even thinking about making the Great Northern Building the Weed Community Center? The building is too small and has poor accessibility; and to top everything else it is already leased out for 10 years.
     I am on a fixed income and I can't afford to pay the monthly membership fees required to even use the pool, and there are hundreds more like me. I know everyone would like to help Great Northern Corporation, however giving up the community's dream of a community center is too high of a price to pay.
     I am a volunteer at the Weed Community Resource Center located in the Weed Mercantile Mall. This building is in a perfect downtown location. We have programs for all ages.
     We even have the seniors from Meadowlark and the Day Out Program, some in their wheelchairs, come to see us, have a cup of coffee, and check out movies.
     We are on the bus route so we are totally accessible for all the citizens of Weed. This building is large enough to house future programs and events.
     I work five days a week as a volunteer. This is my home away from home as it is for many others living alone. Seniors come in to knit and crochet or to play cards or bingo. Kids have been here for the past seven weeks for day camp. There are always people in the computer labs or borrowing movies from our lending library.
     Seniors corne by to have a cup of coffee and chat. Kids come over after school and play games or read books. The center offers classes in parenting, money management, jewelry making, and fitness.
     Oh! Did I mention our Community Garden or Cougar Park?
     Please contact the Weed Community Resource Center with your letters of support for the Weed Mercantile to be the  location of the Weed Community Center, (530) 938-2426.
   Sincerely,
   Carol Faulkner
   Weed