FOR U partnered with its sister organization in Jamaica, Friends of Ridge United, to help complete phase-one a Community Center in Ridge, a St. Elizabeth Parish community that has warmly welcomed FOR U staff and volunteers over the years.
For the first several years, FOR U volunteers worked alongside local community members to aid in construction of the building and its surroundings. Through community efforts, a local basketball court was built and community youth began utilizing the space for recreational activities.
In June 2012, FOR U partnered with a youth group from Mt. View Mennonite Church in VA to build a playground at the community center. A team of eighteen volunteers spent a week in the Ridge community helping to make this dream a reality.
In January 2012, FOR U received a grant from Nazareth Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls, IA, to complete the first floor of the community center. A local construction crew was hired to do the job and FOR U was able to employ over forty members of the Ridge community to complete the work.
The community center’s Grand Opening was held on April 14th, 2012. FOR U continues to partner with the local community by providing funding and resources for the annual summer reading initiative.
