Financial and staffing challenges halt operations at Inter-generational Community Center
Effective Jan. 1, 2021, East Carolina University will no longer function as the principle financial and operational manager for the Inter-generational Community Center.
In 2006, ECU joined the City of Greenville and Pitt Community College as partners to work together and coordinate the budgets, staffing, programs and activities in a commitment to serve the West Greenville community.
Over the last 14 years, IGCC has contributed greatly through varied offerings such as youth outreach and afterschool programs, nutrition education and food assistance, community gardening, resource fairs and block parties, and senior citizen programming. IGCC provides stability, needed service and consistent presence to the local community; at the same time, community residents feel a sense of pride in the center and its history and tradition.
ECU coordinated external grant funding to support the community programs, but those grants have dwindled significantly in recent years, translating to reduced programs and staffing at the center. In addition, the long-time IGCC director is retiring, and the program coordinator accepted another position outside of ECU.
Unfortunately, IGCC’s financial model is no longer sustainable, and institutional options available to maintain the operations of the center as it is currently structured are limited.
“With our current financial situation at ECU, we simply can’t operate the center with only one full-time staff member and properly serve the community as well as it deserves,” said Dr. Dennis McCunney, director of ECU intercultural affairs.
Selected IGCC programs may be supported by certain ECU departments while the university and the city work together to support the center. As an example, the after-school program is now operated through ECU’s College of Education Community School.
For additional information, contact Dr. Dennis McCunney, director of ECU intercultural affairs, at mccunneyw@ecu.edu or 252-328-2802.
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ECU News Services
Howard House, 1001 E. Fifth Street
Greenville, NC 27858
ecunews@ecu.edu
Phone: 252-328-6481
news.ecu.edu
Contact: Dr. Dennis McCunney, director for ECU Intercultural Affairs, mccunneyw@ecu.edu
Telephone: 252-328-2802