December 21, 2021–11:18 a.m.

STAFF REPORTS

The Rome City Commission has approved the purchase of three lots on North Broad Street for $250,000.

The buildings will be used as part of a partnership between the city and the United Way called the Pathway to Hope program.

Alli Mitchell with the United Way of Rome and Floyd County spoke about ‘resource navigation,’ which she called the ‘missing link.’

“We have a lot of really amazing non-profits,” Mitchell said.  “How do we bring them then together?  And how does a person in crisis navigate that system to get the help you need?  So we can help keep people from falling through the cracks.”

One of the buildings will be used for a community resource center, where the United Way’s Taylor Ritchie will be working.

“Anyone who has a need will be able to call or see her in person,” Mitchell added.  “Right now, we are in kind of a basement building.  But it will also allow other organizations to come in and have a shared space.  The United Way’s role, besides having resources there, would be to open that up and see what the community needs and then prioritize the use for it, make it available to other non-profits, and other educational opportunities.”

Mitchell also discussed plans for the house next door.

“We have spoken with the Salvation Army,” she said.  “They have an amazing program that we really want to champion, to provide family transitional housing in this community.  Families are not sheltered in Rome and Floyd County, and I know that’s important to the commission as well as it is to us. 

The United Way would provide the space, and then the Salvation Army could bring a family in for up to 24 months to get that family on track.

That could then be used as a model for other locations in the community.