Dispatch from One Place’s Community Services Day
Building strong, resilient communities requires a collaborative effort—and at One Place, connecting community members to critical resources is a core pillar of our mission.
One opportunity to encourage an increase in this form of collaboration is bringing community service providers together to gain a deeper understanding of how to work in tandem. Guided by this vision, One Place re-launched Community Services Day: an event that brings together human service professionals for a day of community-building, networking, and open dialogue.
In October, One Place held Community Services Day at the Public Safety Building in Jacksonville. Going into 2024, One Place will hold these events twice a year to support human service professionals and agencies in the greater Onslow County community.
About the Event
Since 2002, One Place has hosted Family Services Day—a biannual event focused on presentations and networking opportunities for human service professionals in the community. After taking a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve relaunched Family Services Day as Community Services Day.
The goal of the event is to bring together community partners, stakeholders, and staff members in the human services field to develop a deeper understanding of the various resources available.
During the event, community organizations each present a short overview of their programming. Afterward, attendees have the opportunity for networking and connecting with other service workers.
“It’s so important for Onslow County because we have such a transient community,” shares Kara Darnell, One Place’s Child Care Resource and Referral Director. “By understanding what resources are available, we can build our community up to be more self-sufficient.”
Upcoming Events
The next One Place Community Services Day is scheduled for May 22nd, 2024. It will include a similar flow—short presentations followed by networking—and is designed for human services professionals.
“Having these events twice a year helps anyone who works in human services develop an understanding of what resources are available, what’s changed, and what’s new,” says Darnell. “Plus, it’s great to come together and put a face to a name.”
Turning Adversity Into Success for Children in Onslow (TASCO) will host a town hall event from 1-2:30 pm following Community Services Day on May 22. The topic will be Substance Abuse Prevention.
Follow us on social media for more information about Community Services Day or reach out to Kara Darnell at Kara.Darnell@oneplaceonslow.org for more information.