The historic Golden Gate Building fully restored and operating as House of Hope’s Golden Gate Center for Enrichment.
Credit: Tara Jacobs
 

STUART – This August a community milestone was reached, it has been a year since the long-awaited opening of House of Hope’s Golden Gate Center for Enrichment, the distinct two-story historic building at the corner of SE Dixie Highway and Delmar Street in Stuart. Within the beautifully restored walls of the once blighted building, hundreds of local residents have now accessed life enhancing programs, services and other opportunities bringing House of Hope’s vision to fruition. The building’s previous identities as a realty office, art gallery, private home and post office before being deserted for over 50 years are commemorated in framed mementos and artifacts throughout the building, now sharing space with a modern computer lab, library outpost and versatile classroom space.

Since officially opening the doors of this collaborative community resource last summer, over 650 individuals have benefited from The Center’s cost-free offerings including: students completing their iReady assignments for school, job seekers working with career coaches to achieve employment, multiple Health Department services for all ages, financial stability workshops, health and wellness seminars, interactive nutrition and cooking classes, English as a Second Language programs, various support groups and more.

House of Hope CEO Rob Ranieri shares, “The Center is everything we thought it would be. Great programs, staff, volunteers, and partners have made it a hub of activity, providing impact and results for those we serve.”

The diverse programming offered to the community is made possible by House of Hope’s collaboration with several partnering nonprofit agencies, local businesses and organizations. Currently 10 active program partners fill The Center’s calendar including: All About Achieving Learning Centers, Coalition for Independent Living Options, Everglades Area Health Education Center, Treasure Coast Financial Education Bank Collaborative, Florida Department of Health Martin County, Hispanics in Action, Humana, Indian River State College, Martin County High School, and the Martin County Library System. Additional resources and opportunities are being added monthly and are published on House of Hope’s website, www.hohmartin.org/goldengatecenter.

Financial support for House of Hope’s innovative project has been made possible through several generous private donations as well as grant funding from the United Way of Martin County, Martin County Community Foundation, Bea Rais Merkle Community Fund, Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and Bank United.

The Golden Gate Center for Enrichment is located at 3225 SE Dixie Hwy in Stuart and is open to the public offering free enrichment opportunities Monday through Thursday from 12 p.m. until 7 p.m. For more information and to view the calendar of programs, visit hohmartin.org/goldengatecenter or call (772) 286-4673, ext. 1600.

This article was distributed through Treasure Coast Business, a news service for the readers and advertisers of Indian River Magazine.