Dear Mayor and Council Members,

We are a coalition of residents who have long been involved in supporting our youth and most vulnerable neighbors and see a need to advocate for these citizens. Despite being a world-famous town known for producing Vidalia Sweet Onions, we have neighbors of different ethnicities and age groups that occupy the margins of society that often get overlooked. Too often, our fellow residents end up in a never-ending cycle of poverty, crime, drug addiction and must seek services outside this community or languish in despair.

We, the undersigned, know that it does not have to be this way. We can and must do more for the most vulnerable, whose ages span from infant to senior. To that end, we advocate for the City of Glennville to enter into an intergovernmental agreement to purchase the Glennville Elementary School and convert it into The Glennville Community Activity Center. This can could potentially provide the services that will effectively address the needs of ALL residents of this city in a respectful, holistic, and coordinated manner.

The Glennville Community Activity Center has the potential to be a pillar in our community providing an array of services in partnership with state, city, county, specialized agencies and local faith-based organizations. The potential initiatives and services that could be provided at this ideal site include the following:

• New Library Branch
• Senior Citizens Active and Wellness Programs
• Parks and Recreation Services (Soccer, Football, Basketball, Track and Field)
• Early Learning Center (Ages 0-4)
• Charter School with a Science, Engineering, Arts, Math (STEAM) Education Focus
• K-12 tutoring
• Classes in computer and financial literacy; business; art; cooking and nutrition; GED and ESL
• Small Business Development and Support Agency
• Employment advocacy and training
• Emergency housing support services
• Community garden and environmental education space
• Meeting place for the community and support groups

Unfortunately, the Tattnall County Board of Education is proposing to sale the current Elementary School. We believe such action is not necessary and a misguided waste of a strategically located property. It is our position that this property should remain with the citizens and taxpayers. Again, we call on the Glennville City Council to pursue an intergovernmental agreement with the Tattnall County Board of Education to buy the building and convert into an Intergenerational Community Activity Center. This strategic location makes sense in the context of walkability and proximity to some of our city’s most vulnerable. It would also require very little repurposing of existing structures, allowing the Intergenerational Activity Center to start operating within a short period of time.

It is worth remembering that the pandemic, which has exposed and exacerbated inequities in our community, is not over. Indeed, we believe things may get worse before they get better. With this in mind, we need to understand that returning to business as usual will monumentally fail the most vulnerable among us, and eventually weaken our social fabric. We can and we must do better. This Council has an awesome opportunity to raise the quality of life for all the citizens of Glennville by supporting the vision of the Glennville Intergenerational Community Activity Center.

We look forward to working with you in improving the lives of all the citizens of Glennville.

Your community partners,

Citizens for a Better Glennville