Hardeeville youth council to hold community meeting to reach Hispanic and new residents

The Hardeeville Youth Council agreed to organize an outreach meeting for Hispanic and other recently arrived residents and set a preparatory youth council meeting for Feb. 12 to finalize questions and invitations.

Council members discussed how to reach residents who face language or information barriers and weighed locations, outreach channels and guest speakers. Participants identified the library community room, City Hall and the recreation center as possible venues and recommended that the event be simple, conversational and accessible to people who bring children.

The meeting produced several concrete directions: the youth council will compile a focused list of questions or a brief survey for community attendees; council members who speak Spanish will take a lead role in outreach; staff will contact local organizations and individuals to help spread the word; and the group will seek to host a public event in March (exact date to be decided by the youth council).

Organizers discussed outreach methods that include the council and city social-media channels, the Hispanic Business Association, local churches (participants mentioned St. Anthony’s as a likely place to announce the event) and direct contacts in the community. Council members noted that printed flyers are used less frequently by the city and that electronic posting and working through congregations and community groups may be more effective.

On logistics, participants raised the library community room as a preferred option because it has a kitchenette area with a sink and refrigerator and a separate entrance, and because its layout feels less formal than City Hall. The group suggested a one- to two-hour event length, considered both weekday and weekend times to reach working residents, and emphasized holding the preparatory meeting well before the public event so organizers have time to recruit guests and test outreach plans.

The youth council identified several people and groups to invite as resource providers or translators, including municipal judge Judge Nancy Gutierrez and community helper Blanca Martinez, plus local Hispanic business contacts (including the Navaros) and the Hispanic Business Association. Participants also suggested meeting first with those invited resource people to refine the survey and plan the March event.

Next steps recorded during the discussion were: youth council members will prepare a focused set of questions for Feb. 12; staff or council representatives will contact the named guests and community organizations; and the council will set the final public-event date in March outside the organizer’s travel dates.

Notes: a reference to having “raised about $50,000” appeared in the transcript but the context for that remark was not specified in the discussion recorded here.