The Children's Cabinet and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada are teaming up on a proposed multi-faceted community center.
The "Oddie Project" would turn a vacant building in Sparks into a center for community-based services, including childcare and workforce training.
The Senate Finance Committee heard SB263 on Monday. The state would provide an $8 million "one shot" allocation to the Children's Cabinet to purchase a 7.5 acre parcel of land at the corner of Oddie Boulevard and Sulivan Lane. Additionally, the state would award an additional matching $4 million to the two nonprofits once they raise an equal amount to renovate an old shopping center there to build the Oddie Project. The total cost of the project would be $16 million with $12 million coming from the state general budget.
Senate Minority Leader Heidi Seevers Gansert sits on the Senate Finance committee and supports the project.
“Senate bill 263 is a bill to appropriate $12 million dollars to the Children's Cabinet and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. They would match it with an additional $4 million,” (R-Reno) Senator Heidi Seevers Gansert.
Gansert went on to explain the consolidation of services that would be offered by the project.
“Which would basically have Children's Cabinet there, and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, but also would have healthcare services by Community Health Alliance. It would also have day care that would be provided by the Boys and Girls Club and potentially have literacy work done by the Northern Nevada Literacy Council."
The bill has bipartisan support. Democratic Sparks Assemblywoman Natha Anderson grew up just a few blocks from the site.
“It is a community where people care about each other, and we get a chance to talk with each other, and if we're able to get this location, it will be a place where we can also help each other,” said (D-Sparks) Assemblywoman Natha Anderson.
It's her district, and as a teacher for more than 25 years, Anderson is focused on the childcare components of the project.
“It's actually trying to buy a shopping center, portion of a shopping center, to be able to have the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, portion of that, to be utilized for that very area, and then also an area for the Children's Cabinet to be able to provide some child services, some items to help our kids, and then also our parents,” said Anderson.
The site is located in an area of Sparks that has been classified under the Social Vulnerability Index as a high vulnerable area, which mean a significant portion of the families living there are below the poverty level.
“By providing those food services through the Northern Nevada Food Bank as opposed to it having to be through a truck that would actually have to pulled up to one of the elementary schools, that's very close to there. Such as Alice Maxwell Elementary or Sparks Middle School, Even Sparks High School. Instead the food would be there, and then also being so close to the children's cabinet, we'd also be able to provide daycare services, which we've got a huge problem day care right now,” explained Anderson.
