Looking for answers? New resource hub in this Kansas town aims to help

A grassroots resource and community connection effort called the Goddard Area Welcome & Resource Hub is opening Saturday with the goal of becoming the one place where people who live in, work in or are visiting Goddard can go to find information on dozens and dozens of topics.

“The goal is to help people find needed information, available options, helpful resources and make meaningful connections faster and more easily,” Realtor Amanda Treadwell, who founded and is leading the launch of the Resource Hub, said in a statement.

A grand opening for the Goddard Area Welcome & Resource Hub is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 20, It will be in the lobby of the Hub building at 206 N. Main.

“It allows for kind of a focal point,” said Mayor George Liebe. “Where the chamber of commerce is now kind of a joint venture between Goddard and Maize with an office in west Wichita, (the Resource Hub) will be doing some of the things that the chamber normally would have done.”

The lobby of the Hub building is going to be full of community resources, Treadwell said in an interview with The Eagle. Among the free offerings will be welcome bags for new residents; an initiative to give every newborn a onesie that says “Goddard’s newest resident, established” and then the year they were born; local service and organization referrals; senior and caregiver resources; information about youth programs, activities, sports and recreation opportunities; Goddard Unified School District 265 information and resources; local job postings and employment opportunities; community and event information; volunteer and community service opportunities; support for entrepreneurs; a resource wall; a conference and meeting room and public wi-fi.

Many other things, including a business and resource directory, information about housing options, a community closet, and a podcast and media room are in the works.

Future goals include after-hours notary services; emergency access to computer, copying and printer services; a community block party trailer; a What’s Up Goddard newsletter; text alerts and notifications for important events; a website and expanded digital access to the Facebook group All Things Goddard.

Putting the Resource Hub together has “reinforced how important it is to create meaningful connections and ensure that community members feel supported, connected and never alone — including our seniors,” Treadwell said.

The lobby will be self-serve, with normal hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Resource Hub volunteers hope to be able to offer occasional evening hours from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Volunteers recently started a Resource Hub Facebook group, and dates with extended hours will be announced via social media. On-site volunteer hours for one-on-one assistance will vary and also will be announced on social media.

Finding community in midst of Goddard’s fast growth

As Goddard continues to grow, the Resource Hub’s services will prove to be even more valuable, Treadwell said.

Goddard’s population is nudging the 7,000 mark, based on the latest Census estimates and building permit numbers. That’s an increase of more than 37% since the 2020 Census. City Manager Craig Crossette recently told The Wichita Eagle that Goddard’s population should top 13,000 in the next five years or so.

As Goddard grows rapidly, the Resource Hub will help residents and newcomers keep up with everything that’s going on. And, Treadwell hopes, it will be able to do that “while helping preserve the welcoming, small-town spirit that makes Goddard feel like home and its community feel like family.”

Treadwell is one of the administrators for the What’s Up Goddard Facebook group, and she said that page’s rapid growth — more than 8,900 members as of June 18 — shows that people want more than announcements.

“They want connection, dependable information, consistent communication and a positive space where neighbors support one another,” Treadwell said. “The Resource Hub takes that connection beyond social media and creates a welcoming physical place where people can walk through the door, talk with someone, and receive neighborly support.”

And, as far as Liebe knows, no other suburb in Kansas has or is trying to do anything like the Resource Hub.

“Goddard is just kind of unique in this regard from what I know,” he said. “It’s unique to our situation. Amanda deserves a lot of credit. This is her idea and her vision, and she’s brought it to fruition for the benefit of the community.”

A way to keep more visitors in Goddard

Those who work in or call Goddard home aren’t the only ones who will potentially benefit from the Resource Hub.

There will also be information and resources for visitors, an area with more potential than most communities of 7,000, given that Goddard is home to Tanganyika Wildlife Park, Blast Off Bay water park and Genesis Sports Complex, with Legacy Bank Park currently under construction.

LynnLee Schmidt, chief operating officer for Tanganyika Wildlife Park, said she sees how the Resource Hub will be able to help visitors come to or stay in Goddard longer by helping them get a better picture of everything the west Wichita suburb has to offer.

Most of the people coming to Tanganyika already have plans to attend the wildlife park before arriving in Goddard. But, Schmidt said, she can see how people who are in town for a baseball tournament, for example, would benefit from the Resource Hub.

“They’re often looking for something to do between games,” Schmidt said. “Or the (Resource) Hub would help if those people wanted to add a day after the tournament.”

Treadwell said she got the idea for the Resource Hub when she was helping open the Goddard Senior Center. That effort showed organizers how many people did not know where to go, who to call, or what resources were available if they needed help.

Now, Treadwell said, the senior center is ready to offer regular volunteer support at the Resource Hub as one of its partners.

“They have been a great partner and support in our efforts,” Treadwell said. “And I look forward to partnering with them even more in the future.”

But the Resource Hub will have plenty of volunteer opportunities for anyone who wants to help, Treadwell said. Sign-up opportunities will be available at the grand opening, or those who are interested may email goddardareahub@gmail.com

Contributing: Carrie Rengers of The Eagle.