The three neighborhood community centers, Martin Luther King Center, Booker T. Washington Center, and the John F. Kennedy center, have been providing services and outreach to children and youth dating back to the Great Society era and even earlier. But in recent years, comments have been made by public officials, questioning their relevance, generating calls to consolidate their organizations. James Sherrod, executive director of the Martin Luther King Center said on TalkErie.com that such comments come from a lack of exposure to the centers’ ongoing efforts.
“You have to come in and see the impact, talk to the kids and see what actually happens on a day-to-day basis before you can say that we’re not relevant. We all were designed in a particular area for a particular reason: to serve the community,” said Sherrod.
Center officials are working together to strengthen their financial capacity and expand services to families in their footprint.
