Barnabas Center – Past, Present and Planned
Barnabas Center has been a vital force in the Nassau County community since 1986. We are a non-profit 501c3 established to afford residents aid during a crisis situation that arises due to unforeseen circumstances. The aid is temporary and it is expected that the help will allow individuals or families to continue to be self-supporting or to provide interim help while they are waiting for referral support from other agencies. Barnabas Center furnishes food in emergencies, helps pay utility bills when there is a cut off notice, provides rent or mortgage payment when eviction is threatened. We also provide for other special needs such as propane gas, prescriptions, vision examinations and glasses as well as some work related expenses. Documentation of need, verification of residency and data collection are essential components in our current program models.
A portion of our financial support for this aspect of our services is provided by our resale store, New to You. The store also serves as a program as it supplies much needed clothing, household items and appliances at no cost to those who cannot afford to purchase them.
We have also established an office in the Westside of Nassau County in Hilliard which is open one day a week. Our future plans include expanding those office hours to a second day and partnering with other social service agencies to bring more services to that very rural area.
In October of 2005 Barnabas Center opened the Samaritan Medical Clinic one evening per week. Since that time we have expanded to a second evening and have moved the clinic to a professional site at 1886 South 14th Street in Fernandina Beach. The clinic serves urgent care patients at 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guideline. We utilize the help of a cadre of professional volunteers and have had 1122 visits in the past two years. We are supported through a network of relationships with the Nassau County Department of Health, Baptist Medical Center Nassau and fundraising efforts. Our future plans include opening our doors for a 3rd evening in late 2008 which will be dedicated to follow-up care.
In May 2007, we opened a low-cost day time dental clinic utilizing two volunteer dentists and paid professional staff. As of October 2007, we opened a clinic for 4 days a week and have had 294 patients come through the program. Much of the dental equipment has been donated, however, a grant through the Blue Foundation allowed us to purchase a digitalized computer program to store medical records and X-rays without the use of a developing room. In addition, our services were recently expanded to include the services of a hygienist for two days per week. An outreach campaign will be launched in March of 2008 to all Nassau County employers who utilize minimum wage personnel to inform them of our program. We charge for consumable items only to sustain the program and all dental exams are at no cost. Future plans include recruiting more retired dentists, partnering with the Baptist Mobile Dental Van in August 2008 to bring dental care to the Westside of the county.
We are supported by individual contributors, foundations, churches, grants and two major fundraising activities each year. Our future plans include expanding our outreach to increase our income and expanding our presence in the community.
Barnabas Center is here to help
This local non-profit organization was founded in 1986 by a group of parishioners at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Fernandina Beach, FL. Barnabas Center is truly a grass-roots community effort. With funding from individuals, churches and civic groups, charitable foundations, government and local businesses, Barnabas Center is able to provide food, clothing, household goods, medical and dental care, and subsidies to cover rent and utilities. This assistance is able to help those in crisis stabilize their lives.
Be a part of the circle of support
Whether you volunteer your time, donate your unwanted items to the New to You Shop, contribute items to the pantry, donate money, or join us for one of our fundraising events, there are many ways you can be of service! It takes a community effort and we’re always looking for people to help. It’s also a great way to meet other wonderful people who live in our community.