New center plans open house

     By Sonya Padgett
     View staff writer
      Residents in the Whitney, Paradise and Sunrise Manor areas who find themselves unable to make ends meet have a new place to turn for help.
      The Family Link Resource Center, 3900 Perry Street near Flamingo Road, is hosting an open house Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to introduce the community to its programs and at the same time, try to get a feel for the area's needs.
      Representatives from Nevada Check Up, Family to Family, Head Start, the Housing Authority and the Nevada Welfare Department will be on hand to answer questions and provide information to those interested. Free refreshments will also be served.
      The center's doors have been open for two months, and so far, response from the community has been strong, said Diana Madrid, the center's case manager. But Madrid said the center needs to hear from the residents about what kind of services are most needed.
      "The purpose of the open house is to let people know we're here and to survey the community at the same time," Madrid said.
      The center, one of 41 Family Resource Centers in Nevada and 18 in Las Vegas, is funded by a $43,000 grant from the Henderson Allied Community Advocates. Services are offered based on input from Neighborhood Councils, whose members keep their fingers on the pulse of the local community.
      "The whole concept is to bring everything into one place, to help move people out of welfare," Madrid said.
      Marie Manendo is the vice president of the all-volunteer Neighborhood Council that will work closely with Madrid. Her son, Assemblyman Mark Manendo, District 18, was instrumental in the opening of Family Links.
      "He recognized that there are needs in his district," Marie Manendo said. "It's important to him that ... (residents) become self-sufficient, productive citizens. He fought hard so that the people in his area would have access to the services that a center can provide."
      Services include a food and clothing bank, job readiness assistance, well-baby clinics and parenting classes.
      Madrid has signed 43 new clients since January; the center is averaging about 140 clients a month, providing everything from employment counseling to food, clothing, even bus tokens to help individuals get to work.
      "We're trying to build up an employment bank," Madrid said. "Anyone needing work, we can help them. The goal is to get them self-sufficient."
      A computer lab stocked with five computers donated by the Community College of Southern Nevada is on-site so people can study for a General Education Development diploma, learn English and typing.
      Also, Madrid said Clinic On Wheels will come by once a month to offer free immunizations; Family and Child Treatment sends a counselor once a week; and if the need is there, Cooperative Extension will teach anger management classes.
      People living in the areas with zip codes 89120, 89121 and 89122 are eligible to use the center's services. Eligibility is based on need, and services are free.
      To contact Madrid call 454-9020.