The Community Justice Center (CJC), a collaborative between the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County to implement joint Reimagining Public Safety plans, is announcing the opening of two “Community Resource Hubs” in Enfield and Groton. The hubs provide residents with access to information and the internet, online forms for services and benefits, transportation and housing resources, and the ability to take health or other appointments online or over the phone. The hubs will be staffed during the 2023 pilot period by the Community Justice Center. The hubs are free for anyone in the community to access.
The current schedule for community members to access the Community Resource Hubs are:
- Enfield Community Center, 162 Enfield Main Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
- Open Wednesdays 12:00 – 2:00p.m.
- Open Wednesdays 12:00 – 2:00p.m.
- Groton Public Library, 122 East Cortland St., Groton, NY 13073
- Open Tuesdays 12:00 – 2:00p.m.
Resources available through the Community Resource Hubs are:
- Computers and Internet Access
- Get online and find information that you need, a printer is available so you can take information home
- Find Transportation Resources and Schedules to Meet your Needs
- We’ll help you find reliable transportation
- Get Help Finding and Filling out Forms for Benefits and Services
- Free assistance to fill out online or paper forms
- Take Medical Appointments Over the Phone or Internet
- Free internet, computer and phone access are available
Community members are encouraged to visit the hubs during open hours, appointments are not necessary. Those looking for more information can contact the Community Justice Center at 607-793-0473 or msmiley@tompkins-co.org.
Project Director of the Community Justice Center, Monalita Smiley stated, “Public safety is about more than just policing. Making sure that people have what they need to keep healthy and safe in their communities is important. This program is about meeting people where they are, making sure they have access to information in their own communities, and can connect with the CJC on what’s important to them when it comes to public safety.” Smiley added, “My vision is that these will be safe spaces for people to access the internet, get help with a form to access services, or just to navigate the complexities of resources in our community. I’m glad we’re getting to do this work at the CJC because this shows that government and not-for-profit services can be available to everyone.”
Smiley continued, “I think about how we’re often delivering “wraparound services” after someone has experienced a crisis or is desperate for help, and how these hubs can be a way to deliver those services to people earlier, when they identify that they’d like support or access to information. I see this as a prevention mechanism and a way to uplift people in areas that don’t have everything that you can find in the geographic center of the County.”
In addition to the new Community Resource Hubs, the Community Justice Center encourages everyone in Tompkins County seeking resources or information on what may be available to them to dial 2-1-1 (1-877-211-8667) for a caring, local person who will assist each caller, and to use their local libraries for ongoing access to information and online resources.