04/08/17 — Operation Unite Goldsboro to meet

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Operation Unite Goldsboro to meet

By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on April 8, 2017 11:30 PM

An effort to join nonprofits, businesses and other organizations serving the public is planned during the first meeting of Operation Unite Goldsboro.

The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Rebuilding Broken Places, 2105 N. William St. and is open to the public as well as any group interested in the effort.

The goal is to better focus area programs, resources and services to better serve the community, said Mark Colebrook, Operation Unite Goldsboro organizer.

The event is an outgrowth of recent town-hall style meetings that led to an understanding that there are many organizations and businesses providing similar services.

"The whole vision behind it is to organize the community," Colebrook said. "A lot of people don't know all the different things going on in the community. The goal is to get all the organizations we can in the room and get it on paper."

"We want to reach more people. If we can narrow our focus and be strategic, we could have a greater impact."

The first meeting will involve gathering information about organizations and groups and the local services they provide to people of all ages, including children, youth, adults and older residents.

Operation Unite Goldsboro plans to become a one-stop shop that will connect residents with area programs and services, and a website is planned to include a listing of local opportunities.

The initial goals are to gather information about available programs, categorize each into focus areas and match similar businesses, nonprofits and organizations with each other.

A longterm goal is to develop an action plan that will serve as a resource and be presented to elected officials serving on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, Wayne County Board of Education and Goldsboro City Council.

The organization could also make nonprofit funding requests to city and county officials, Colebrook said.

Operation Unite Goldsboro is already partnering with Jermaine and Nicolette Dawson, who recently started hosting town-hall style meetings in Goldsboro and Ravonda Jacobs, leader of Akebulan Village, a group of teenagers interested in making a difference in the community.

On Monday, the meeting will include information about a May 6 citywide cleanup day that will be organized by Operation Unite Goldsboro, the Village and the Dawsons.

For more information about Operation Unite Goldsboro, Colebrook can be reached at (910) 494-2292 or markcolebrook@yahoo.com.

The Dawsons plan to have the next town hall meeting for the public on May 2, at 6:30 p.m., at Impact Church Goldsboro, 109 W. Ash St. The meetings, which started in February, have drawn anywhere from 50 to 75 people interested in improving the community and addressing concerns about education, crime and employment.