Nonprofit Center Moving Forward
The mission of the William and Janet Strickler Nonprofit Center is to foster strong collaboration among key social service agencies by developing a shared physical space and cooperative interactions to address the needs of Isabella County residents living in or near poverty. That mission is now several steps closer to reality.
The Care Store, Clothing INC, and Community Compassion Network provide critical services in our community, and have been located under one roof since fall 2017. The Center, located at 1114 W. High Street in Mt. Pleasant, has been operated by the United Way of Gratiot and Isabella Counties since that time under a temporary lease agreement with Victory Christian Church. Fundraising efforts, led by the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation, took place throughout 2018 and proved successful in raising $1.1 million to make the nonprofit center permanent.
Named for William and Janet Strickler, the Nonprofit Center incorporated as a separate legal entity in the State of Michigan in June of this year. A Board of Directors was appointed to manage and sustain the Strickler Center facility in order to support the missions of tenant agencies. The new Board includes community leaders: Rob Powell, Jill Bourland, Zachary Stewart, Jacob Kain, Jill Simons, Jennifer Verleger, Peggy Schuette, Mary Olivieri, and Madison Chapman.
The new Board has filed the necessary paperwork with the IRS and hopes to receive formal recognition as a 501(c)3 charitable organization by the end of the year. Negotiations are in process to purchase the Strickler Center building and property, and renovation plans are underway. During this time of transition, community members are encouraged to continue connecting directly with tenant organizations:
The Care Store (thecarestore.org)
Clothing INC (clothinginc.org)
Community Compassion Network (ccnfeeds.org)
MichiganWorks! (michiganworks.org)
Ten Sixteen Recovery Network (1016.org)
For updates on Strickler Center progress, follow the Strickler Center Facebook page.