Community center could aid GV non-profits

The Sahuarita Unified School District will take over the operation of Sahuarita Park from Pima County on July 1, and school officials are working with non-profit agencies in Green Valley to develop a community center there for satellite operations.

Superintendent Jay St. John told the school board on Wednesday that seed money is available from Pima County to start a community center and that he scheduled a meeting with officials of the Community Food Bank of Green Valley, United Community Health Care and Casa de Esperanza for Tuesday to discuss opening branch operations there.

While creating a social service center at Sahuarita Park is not the school district’s main focus, the non-profit agencies, St. John said, “are moving toward making Sahuarita Park a real regional (center) for social services... The Food Bank would like to have a food service in this area and UCHC is looking toward putting a wellness center in our set of buildings. If we’re able to facilitate that process, I’d be pleased.”

Bill McCreery, executive director of Casa de Esperanza, called it “a work in progress, but I'm hoping this site might provide another locale for Casa de Esperanza to offer counseling services to the Sahuarita community.”

Food Bank officials say they need a location in Sahuarita to serve the large number of clients from the town. More than 60 percent of Food Bank clients in May were from Sahuarita. The organization is already raising money for a larger space for its Green Valley operations, but even if it gets a larger location there, executive director Mary Jane Goodrick said she would still like to open a part-time location in Sahuarita.

Pima County Supervisor Ramon Valadez, who represents two precincts in northern Sahuarita, said there is up to $500,000 in federal Community Development funding available through Pima County for starting a community center, but he cautioned that other agencies would have to contribute money to make such a venture feasible.

pfranchine@sahuaritasun.com | 547-9738