Last September, four visitors from Indonesia arrived in Pensacola as part of a U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program titled NGOs and Social Services. The purpose of this project was “to learn about the role of NGOs in providing educational services for children with disabilities, to explore how NGOs provide programming and opportunities (for the unemployed, to include financial support, job training, counseling, etc.), and to understand how NGOs empower communities…in the United States.”
Dr. P.C. Wu welcomed them to Pensacola City Hall, and the councilmember shared an overview of the city’s history and highlighted the functions of local government. Their local facilitator, Susan Senkarik, next brought the group to the home of Sonja Nelson for informal interaction and discussion over coffee with Ed Berry, Julie Connerley, Pam Schwartz, and Allan Ford.
Afterwards, they headed to the Haas Center of the University of West Florida to meet Economic Development Coordinator Allison Tyler Romer who addressed the programming present for entrepreneurs and community organizations across northwest Florida. The Haas Center is a research and consulting arm that engages in applied research and strategy development in economics and across the social sciences.
The group also traveled to East Hill Academy where they met Director Barbara Barber. East Hill Academy is a private, nonprofit school for grades K – 12 which works with children diagnosed with autism and other related learning disabilities. Discussion focused on the school’s satellite campus in rural Century, Florida which was the winner of the 2015 Century Business Challenge. The focus on the needs of that community continued with a conversation at the Carver Community Center in Century with Dr. Marilyn Robinson who shared strategies used in their community to meet needs.
Further discussions occurred at Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) with Executive Director Greg Strader, Ministry Village at Olive Executive Director Stan Lollar, and Escambia Community Clinic Safety Manager Maralee Sartain. BRACE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the community’s resiliency in the face of natural disasters and other emergency events. Here the focus was on the NGO cooperation required to prepare for disasters and how to accommodate special needs in preparedness and response.
At one of their final meetings, the visitors volunteered at Waterfront Rescue Mission alongside Store Manager Barry Banks. The Mission provides recovery and addiction counseling, housing for the homeless, and emergency shelters during times of crisis. Its primary source of funds is through donations and the local thrift stores they manage.
To round out their experience, the visitors enjoy dinner & conversation in the home of members John Adams and Dr. Laura Magan and Michael and Rachel Lockwood.
The Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council thanks everyone who helped make this project a success.
