- May 8, 2024
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Members will supply manpower for community service projects.
BY WAYNE GRANT | STAFF WRITER
Several civic groups in Ormond Beach are coming together to help out with community projects.
“We have a lot of human resources,” Rick Fraser, executive director of the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce, told the Ormond Beach City Commission last week. Fraser and representatives of several other civic groups appeared before the board to inform officials of their plans.
“We’re here to let you know we’re going to talk about doing things such as beach cleanups, anything that will make Ormond Beach a better place to live,” Fraser said. “There are several organizations that should get to know each other and collaborate.”
Mayor Ed Kelley told Fraser that the city will work closely with the new group.
Fraser added that the coalition will be informal, not an established 501(c)3 .
Among those involved are the Ormond Beach Historical Society, the Ormond Memorial Art Museum, the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce, The Casements, the Scenic Loop and Trail, Citizens and Neighbors Devoted to Ormond Beach, Citizens for Ormond Beach, The Elks Lodge, the Kiwanis Club, the Lions Club and the Rotary Club.
In an interview after the meeting, Fraser gave an example of when a large number of volunteers would have made a big difference. When Rainbow Park in Nova Community Center was constructed several years ago, the city called out for volunteers from the community to help with labor. If the coalition had been in existence, they could have provided a large number of people.
“The residents who volunteered did a good job, but that’s an example of what the coalition could do,” he said. “If the city needs something done but lacks funds, we can supply manpower.”
Rita Press, president of Citizens for Ormond Beach, said communication between groups will be helpful. For example, she found out once that another group was collecting eyeglasses. If she had known, she could have placed it on her own group’s website, she said.
She said the coalition was the brainchild of Fraser. He contacted leaders of a few organizations and it grew from there.
Fraser said he has been active in the community for 20 years and has worked with various civic groups.
“I just happened to think that it would be a good idea to get to know each other and collaborate on projects we feel passionate about,” he said.
A side benefit, he said, is that the groups will be able to avoid duplication of efforts.
Fraser said they plan on staying away from politics or lobbying.
“With that many people, you’d have a difference of opinion,” he said. “The plan is to concentrate on the positive.”
Press said the coalition will be made up of people who care and are active.
“We want to harness that energy and make a better community,” she said.
The coalition plans to have a meeting soon. Fraser also said he’s thinking of organizing an old-fashioned “blanket on the ground” picnic to help the members get to know each other.
