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North Point takes aim at poverty in Zone 1

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North Point Church is leading the way on a Zone 1 community resource center called the Dream Center.

Director Jody Glazner said the 829 W. Atlantic St. center in Woodland Heights will include a food pantry in partnership with Crosslines, a computer lab where adults can earn their GED, tutoring for elementary and high school students, child care when adults are utilizing resources and basic vehicle maintenance.

“We consider ourselves kind of a gap filler,” said Glazner, who was promoted from North Point’s give-back director. “We want to look at what keeps people from rising above the poverty line.”

North Point is targeting a January soft launch and full opening over spring break for the Dream Center, which has a $250,000 annual budget. So far, North Point has raised over $30,000, including two $5,000 donations from anonymous donors. The church plans to fundraise from its congregation in December and from the community at large starting at the beginning of 2017. Glazner said she would hire two part-time employees for the center, which would need about 40 volunteers a day to fully function.

The Dream Center will operate in a 53,000-square-foot building donated by Hamlin Memorial Baptist Church. The two organizations will share space in the building until Hamlin moves to its new home north of the city off Highway 13 in March.

“They’ve been phenomenal to us,” Glazner said, noting the value of the building is $1.5 million.

Glazner said the Dream Center is separate but complementary to the Zone Blitz and The Northwest Project initiatives.

It also differs from a similar project in the works in the northwest Springfield district. The Springfield-Greene County Health Department, Missouri Job Center and Ozarks Food Harvest are seeking a site and funding for a community food resource center in Zone 1.

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