RESOURCE CLUB

The Saturday morning Gatekeepers Resource Club, held in the Fellowship Hall at Trinity Lutheran Church, is where community resources get to connect with returning citizens. The doors open at 9:30 am for networking and coffee. The meeting starts at 10:00 am and runs until 11:00 am. Many people stay afterwards to continue networking and connecting with resource providers that were present.

 

Attendance at the weekly Gatekeepers Resource Club grew from an average of 23 in 2021 to 43 in 2022 and was an average of about 80 attendees in 2023. As of October 2024, we are averaging over 70 attendees per week. Community resources are always present and includes at different times organizations like the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to answer questions on Drivers License and State Identification card status, the Area Health Education Center - West (AHEC-W) to help with Medicaid status and enrollment, the Washington County Health Department who provides many services including NARCAN training & smoking cessation programs, CASA who provides domestic violence & anger management seminars and group sessions, the local Literacy Council who provides free books, and the Middletown Valley Bank who provides financial literacy and free basic checking account opening for recently released men and women. We also have community employers attending who announce current job openings and community housing providers attending who let us know how many open beds are available at their locations. Bottom line, the Gatekeepers Resource Club is safe place where people meet, talk, network, laugh, enjoy fellowship, and learn about community resources, learn about each other, and learn about topics of interest (e.g., conflict resolution, mental health, artificial intelligence, voting registration).

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Come check it out!

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