Wellington Community Partners Come Together For First Meeting

Attendees at the first Wellington Community Partners roundtable include village staff members and leaders from a number of local nonprofits.

Wellington Community Service Director Paulette Edwards invited local nonprofit organizations to an initial roundtable meeting held at the Wellington Community Center on Tuesday, Oct. 24. With representatives from nearly all areas of the nonprofit sector, the first Wellington Community Partners meeting proved to be very informative.

Edwards began the meeting by reminding attendees how the Village of Wellington prides itself on being “a great hometown.”

“Our goal to make our community a place where people are healthy, safe and cared for takes a lot of work,” she said. “Just like most communities with a diverse population and economy, we do have those in need. Whether it be children in need of school supplies or seniors in need of transportation, local government can’t do it alone. The ability to partner effectively with our community-based organizations is absolutely essential.”

However, these partnerships do not materialize out of thin air, she said. Therefore, the village’s Community Services Department put in motion the concept of bringing a group of area nonprofit organizations together for its first Wellington Community Partners roundtable.

“We’ve found that with so many organizations dedicated to assisting those in need, it would be beneficial to centralize our efforts,” Edwards said. “By doing so, we would have a better understanding of one another’s mission and ensure we are not duplicating efforts.”

The goal is to develop a cohesive partnership to be able to serve more individuals and families in need.

The next Wellington Community Partners meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 9 a.m. at the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) and is open to all Wellington nonprofit groups.

For more information about the Wellington Community Partners program, call Edwards at (561) 791-4130.