High Springs leaders, churches and county staff plan workshop to coordinate local community outreach services

High Springs City Commission members, local churches and nonprofit and health providers agreed Tuesday to organize a workshop to map existing services for low-income and vulnerable residents and to explore a shared, city-supported community outreach site. The city and partner agencies will seek ways to combine county and Children's Trust funding, identify suitable space and set up a steering group of local providers.

The move grew out of a lengthy discussion during a city meeting in which directors of Saint Madeleine's Community Outreach, a long-running local food and assistance program, described persistent demand and building and operational needs. "We put out food to feed 600 families — 1,700 individuals — and packaged 2,300 grocery bags in 1 month," the Saint Madeleine's representative said, describing the program's scale and 12-year history serving clients from across the area.

Why it matters: County staff have begun planning mobile or fixed…