Social services want to be part of new center

Brookfield school officials said they are greatly encouraged about discussions with social service agencies as they develop the programming for the Tiffany’s Event Center building, which the district is buying.

The district has a two-fold plan for use of the building: expanding its career and technical education offerings and creating a center for programs available to the community.

On the community center side, officials from the school and township Trustee Shannon Devitz recently met with representatives of Family and Community Services and SCOPE Senior Services, and both entities expressed a desire to host programs from the Brookfield community center, said school Supt. Toby Gibson.

Family and Community Services Inc. is a Portage County-based nonprofit that offers social service programs in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. The agency addresses transportation, homelessness, behavioral health, food insecurity and other issues, according to its website.

Last year, FCS merged with AxessPointe Community Health Centers, which offers an array of health services. Gibson has often spoken of wanting to offer primary healthcare services to students and the community.

SCOPE, which is an FCS agency, offers senior services for Trumbull County and runs several senior centers, where seniors can go to receive services and for wellness and social programs.

FCS is interested in staffing an office with weekday hours at the Tiffany building and offering services, Gibson said.

Mike Wilson, executive director of SCOPE, appeared with Gibson at the Feb. 2 township trustees meeting and expressed excitement at the prospect of locating a senior center in the Tiffany’s building, which also would be a jumping-off point for other Family and Community Services programs.

He said he is excited about the potential size of the space that could be controlled by SCOPE and amenities such as the kitchen, which could be used for cooking and nutrition programs.

“There’s enough room that we could probably put an (medical) examination room there,” he said. Any medical facility would offer services to “anybody. Anybody needs some help with medical issues in Brookfield Township, that could be made available at this location.”

SCOPE would be responsible for seeking funding through the senior levy. Voters recently approved a levy hike to increase funding for senior services.

“If we get letters of support from the township as well as the school board, then we would go after funding that would start this coming September,” Wilson said. “If you want it in your community, we want to serve the citizens.”

School board member Derek Mihalcin said he was encouraged that FCS would tailor its offerings to the wants and needs of the community as expressed by community officials.

“That’s exactly what we want to hear on our end,” Mihalcin said.

Gibson said he is excited about the prospect of students working with seniors at the center with each generation passing on skills and know-how to the other.

While these conversations are going on, Tom Madej of Team 8e Architecture, the firm hired by the district to design modifications to the Tiffany’s building, has entered the building for the first time and is collecting data on it and has started envisioning the changes that will have to be made, said Treasurer Jordan Weber.

The district and Team 8e have finalized a contract that calls for the district paying Team 8e $84,500, or 6 percent of the expected $1.3 million renovation cost, Weber said.

The sale closing is on for March 12 with the district taking control of the building at the end of April, Weber said.

The district also has opened discussions with the Trumbull County Planning Commission and the Trumbull County Auditor about its plans, Weber said.

“We are quickly progressing,” he said.

Gibson said it’s too soon to say if anything will be in place by the start of the next school year.

In a related matter, the district is finalizing an application for $250,000 in equipment for the center. The money is provided by the U.S. Appalachian Regional Commission through Eastgate Regional Council of Governments.

The grant, which would be matched by $135,699 in school general funds and $414,258 in funds from a state Career and Technical Education Equipment Grant, would be used for the purchase of furniture and technology at the center, Gibson said.