Editor’s Note: This story is part of our Celebrate Community series on nonprofit organizations that improve Santa Rosa County residents’ quality of life.
MILTON — Second Chance Outreach Re-Entry and Education Development Inc. and Guy Thompson Community Center staffers will provide a Thanksgiving feast for area senior citizens.
Seniors attend the annual luncheon for many reasons, Joe Paschal, the center’s coordinator, said. Many attendees can’t cook a large meal, or they have family that live out of state. However, several just come to be around other seniors.
“We have some that just come to get away from their families for a bit,” he said. “Some will come for a little bit and then spend the rest of their day with family.”
Following the meal, seniors can play bingo with groceries as prizes.
Alton Johnson, SCORE’s president and CEO, anticipates seven ex-offenders will volunteer with cleaning, prep work and cooking at the event.
He said the ex-offenders are cleared to work — “I won’t have any rapists or murderers (there); these are mostly (individuals with) drug charges,” Johnson said.
Ex-offenders his organization works to rehabilitate and educate enjoy taking part in the event.
“It gives my guys the opportunity to give back,” he said. “They really do like it.”
Volunteers from the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office also will help during the Thanksgiving feast.
Since 2012, SCORE has offered ex-offenders a six- to 12-month program that emphasizes personal growth and development.
Through partnerships with the University of West Florida and Locklin Technical Center, SCORE offers a career-training plan that allows ex-offenders to earn a GED.
The program also offers Moral Reconotation Therapy, a behavioral counseling program combining education, group and individual counseling and structured exercises.
SCORE also has volunteers who teach faith-based classes.
See www.scoredsrc.org for more information.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Giving back