| GALATA, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) social services agency serving the low-income population of South Dade County. Established in 2000, GALATA is currently located at 239-241 West palm Drive Florida City, FL, one of the most underserved communities in South Dade. Our mission is to provide socially and culturally competent programs and health services to the disadvantaged population of South Dade County by promoting economic self-sufficiency to improve their quality of life. Our goal is to educate, inform, and empower consumers by implementing a service program providing an array of quality-of-life improvement services, including, but not limited to, case management and referrals in order for our client to become self-sufficient.
GALATA provides social services to low-income clients of all ages. These services fill a vital role in our community, and speak to the issues that need to be addressed. This includes: application for government subsidized health benefits (i.e. Medicaid and Florida KidCare), free bus passes/tokens, youth leadership/after school program, translation services, crime prevention activities, immigration information and referrals, youth summer employment program, and general information and referrals. In addition to this, GALATA's Senior Center (ages 60+) provides transportation, recreation, educational activities, field trips, nutrition education, congregate meals, shopping assistance, and emergency financial assistance. Some of our community activities include, Back-to-School fairs, provision of school supplies to those in need, community empowerment workshops, securing holiday donations (Thanksgiving and Christmas), College Tours, and Health Fairs.
Florida City, FL is a rural community with almost half of its population being Hispanic, for whom the most common country of origin is Mexico. Other important groups in the neighborhood include Haitians, people from the English-speaking Carribbean, and indigenous people from Mexico and Guatemala. African-Americans comprise more than a quarter of the local population. A large proportion of the residents are farm-workers, both seasonal and year-round. According to the Department of Children and Families, these areas are referred to as "hyper-poor". Poverty rates are approximately 44%, compared to the County average of 14.2%. Many residents do not have health insurance, and there is a large concentration of unemployed persons.
Furthermore, recent surveys of the Social Services Master Plan of Dade County, the Department of Children's Services and the Office of Research and Community Affairs indicated that Homestead/Florida City, FL ranked third in number of priority services. The Community and Economic Development Consolidated Plan Update for FY 2006 indicated an overall medium need for Senior Centers, and a high need for Senior Services. District 8 and 9 listed both of these services as high priorities. The programs offered at GALATA aim to "bridge the gap" in some of these services.
In recent years there has been a development boom in Florida City. This area which was once considered an agricultural area is quickly turning into a suburban area. Much of the farm land has been purchased and replaced by single family homes, condominiums, and multi-family housing developments. This increase in development and population size further solidifies the need for GALATA to purchase a larger facility and expand our services.
GICRC Project
We are applying for a loan from the USDA/Rural Housing Service Agency in the amount of $1.3 Million. The project is known as the GALATA Intergenerational Community Resource Center (GICRC Project). This new facility will be the first of its type in the Florida City area. Residents of all ages and ethnicities will have a safe and accessible place to gather for recreational and educational purposes.
The GALATA Intergenerational Resource Center will house GALATA's Senior Center, Youth Leadership After-school Program, and our Social Services Departments. It will include an exercise room, a full service unisex beauty salon for the elderly, a computer lab and resource library (literature provided in English, Spanish, Creole, and French), and rooms for community training programs.
In addition to the services currently offered at GALATA, the new facility will allow for space to conduct computer courses (i.e. computer repair, A+ Certification, CISCO Networking Certification, Network +, and Power Point Presentation training), technical/vocational training (i.e. security guard, carpentry), economic development training, and self sufficiency activities.
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