To support the work of the NorthStar Family Resource Center, PSF established a Resource Center Advisory Council (RCAC) to help guide our efforts. The RCAC helps give voice to the strengths of the community and identify the most prevalent needs of Lake City’s children and families. The RCAC is an integral part of the Resource Center expansion process, ensuring that the services and resources provided at the Center are responsive to the common and localized needs of the community.
RCAC Members serve in a variety of ways to help guide the development of the NorthStar Family Resource Center including:
- Serve as ambassadors by utilizing their connections to share information about the Resource Center’s developments.
- Identify gaps in the resources and services on a local level by helping with community strengths and needs assessments.
- Aid our outreach efforts by identifying new and potential partners.
- Support fundraising efforts to grow the programs and supports available at the Resource Center.
- Attend RCAC meetings on a regular basis.
The principles of the Resource Center Advisory Council are:
- To serve the interests and priorities of the entire community
- Respect all strengths of the community, reflecting diversity
- Provide essential input from community partners
Membership:
Funding provided by the Children’s Bureau through the Community Collaborations to Strengthen and Preserve Families Grant emphasizes the need for a collaborative, community-based approach to serving children and families. Likewise, PSF’s Resource Center Model is rooted in the belief that services provided at our Resource Centers must be responsive to the local neighborhoods and communities they serve. Members of the RCAC play a pivotal role in helping the NorthStar Family Resource Center meet these goals.
The grant requires a strong multi-system collaboration with representatives that include, but are not limited to:
- the Department of Children and Families,
- public housing partners
- the public health community
- the legal and judiciary community
- youth and families with lived experience in the child welfare system
- the mental and behavioral health community
- representatives from the nonprofit, business and philanthropic sectors
- the faith-based community
If you would like more information or are interested in becoming more involved in the process, please email Toni.Spoliansky@pfsf.org.
